The Power of Social Networking For A Cause
January 7, 2009
If you ever doubted that one person can make a difference in our world, I’d like to show you how David Armano did just that last night. I was working late with my trusty Twitter companion by my side (my favorite social network), when the following post came out from an Australian fellow I follow:
@problogger: I love when social media makes an impact like this and this on people’s lives
David Armano, VP of Experience Design with Critical Mass, wrote a compelling post on his personal blog entitled “Please Help Us Help Daniela’s Family.” The purpose of which was to enlist us ALL to help a very brave woman, Daniela and her 3 precious children, move forward from domestic abuse.
It really does take that one person to stand up for the cause, someone to take the lead for us. And then we feel empowered to stand with the cause and together we become a village. Many of us gave last night, far exceeding the original contribution goal, bonded to our cause. I’ve never been to David Armano’s blog before and am truly amazed at the power Twitter has to virally spread the word. I am even more amazed at the compassionate responses from our community to help a stranger in need. We are living in difficult times and each one of us has our stories to tell, but we gave what we had to be part of a solution that is so much bigger than ourselves. It was extremely moving to visit David’s blog and refresh the screen to watch the ChipIn! counter grow. Thank you for letting me be part of this important cause. Twitter Power!
You can still make a difference for this courageous family … go now and give what you can!
What IS this Twitter buzz?
November 11, 2008
A few months ago, a colleague of mine asked if I was on Twitter. Dumbfounded, I went searching to find out what the buzz was all about. At first, I didn’t quite get the point of micro-blogging in 160 characters or less — what could be the value in that? Well, now I’m hooked and think it’s a cool concept. I will say Twitter can definitely suck up huge chunks of your time. As with any social media network, it takes time to build a following and find other interesting people you’d like to follow. Ultimately, that’s what makes it so much fun! Reading all the tweets as I work from home is like having an office full of chatter. I get hot tips for my business, links to awesome blogs, websites and contests, keep up with the news, as well as having daily laughs and inspirational quotes. The more Twitter peeps you follow, the more enjoyable it is (peeps is slang for people).
Here are some great resources to get started on Twitter:
- Twitter Revolution
by @WarrenWhitlock and @CoachDeb.
- Mashable posts on How To and How NOT To Build Your Twitter Community by @PRSarahEvans.
- Visit the TwiTip blog by @problogger and learn how to use Twitter more effectively.
- Know your Twitter Lingo as noted by @MariSmith. A must have to fit your tweets in 160 characters.
- Check out TweetBeep and setup keyword alerts by @mdjensen. They’re like Google Alerts for Twitter.
And the best news yet for this Twitter addiction? I recently found a fabulous new client for my project management and bookkeeping services. Twitter rocks! Come follow me at @KellyWilliamsVA.
Dual Monitors, Oh Yea!
October 14, 2008
Recently there were discussions on several VA forums about using dual monitors. What a concept! I had never seriously considered this until my fellow VAs were raving about this setup. At one point, someone mentioned to try it “if you happen to have an extra monitor around”. I chuckled and thought, sure, who has a monitor just sitting around and then I saw it! I had an unused monitor at my archaic desktop machine in the playroom corner. I was thrilled, to say the least, and set about hooking it up.
Now as a bookkeeper, having multiple windows open at all times is an absolute must. There are statement pdf files, emails of transactions and instructions, online project collaboration notes, my time keeper, not to mention the QuickBooks software program. Even though I love my widescreen HP laptop, there just isn’t enough screen real estate to work with everything I need. I have spent a lot of effort zooming in and out, going back and forth between the windows. With my fabulous new setup, I am now able to drag the windows back and forth between monitors, keeping things in 100% view. What a boost to my productivity! I challenge you to dust off those ole’ monitors and try it out, then let me know what YOU think.
Developing a Strong Focus
September 24, 2008
It was over 1 1/2 years ago when I began planning for my virtual assistant business. At that time, I wasn’t sure about the technology to make the “virtual” happen or what skills I would be most comfortable marketing; it all seemed overwhelming. Since then, I’ve scoured the internet, learned to network, and have also taken quite a few courses to expand my knowledge. I LOVE learning new and exciting things. Now, I’ve comfortably settled into bookkeeping as my niche and enjoy working as a subcontractor on several virtual teams. I was very lucky, and thankful, for my past proposal preparation skills as they helped me successfully answer several RFPs.
I confess, I’ve been dragging my feet in preparing to market work for myself. When summertime ends, I naturally feel the need to increase my business focus … it’s sort-of like the new year, for me. It’s always important to put those “resolutions” in writing so here are my goals to develop a consistent part-time bookkeeping support business:
- Redesign my website
- Become a QuickBooks Pro Advisor in 2009
- Take Andrea Kalli’s Social Marketing Success in Under 30 Minutes a Day elearning course, so I can:
- Join the Twitter buzz
- Update my LinkedIn profile
- Create a Facebook profile and jump in
- Blog actively
My list of things to do goes on, but I don’t want to become overwhelmed before I get started (did I SEE my list yet?). Oh, and maybe I’ll figure out how to open a Yahoo! Store someday.
Do-it-yourself Web Design
September 19, 2008
I really should pay somebody to design my website but the temptation for my right-sided brain to do it myself is too overpowering. I have these great ideas floating around in my head just waiting to pour out. I bought a few books and highly recommend Paul McFedries, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creating a Web Page & Blog. In fact, his new book, The Idiot’s Guide to Creating a Website, comes out October 7 and I’ve already pre-ordered. As an author, he is witty with a dry sarcasm that I find charming and I retained so much more with a smile on my face.
Paul really simplifies the process and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I could actually read HTML code. I find that I look at websites in a whole new way, literally, as I view the Page Source in my browser. I feel as if I’m reading a secret code. It’s great! I’m sure it goes without saying that it’s not for everyone. Who knows, if I actually “get it” and design my new site and blog, I could open up a whole new avenue of business for me. What fun!
A Virtual Assistant’s Journey
August 20, 2007
As a Virtual Assistant actively cultivating my small business, I believe learning is extremely important and crucial to success. In order to remain the experts we are, Virtual Assistants (VAs) are constantly searching to expand our knowledge. The beauty of the VA industry is that each VA has a specialty and individually strives to increase his or her level of expertise amidst the craziness of the constantly evolving technology. Our success depends on this and the quality of our services reflect this. My goal is to offer some tips and inspirations, resulting from the many hours of research and training I’ve done on my Virtual Assistant journey so far, as well as reflect the service areas of my own expertise.
It is my sincere hope to offer up some useful information. And maybe you’ll find some inspiration and peace of mind along the way. Welcome!
