Beat the Daily Crash & Burn – Workstation Ergonomics

I had a much needed appointment with my Chiropractor, Sheila Keber of Align Chiropractic Health Centre in Newmarket. Sheila gave me a sheet on Workstation Ergonomics and she also gave me permission to use this here on my Blog:

THE WORK AREA should be large enough to accommodate you, allow a full range of motion for daily tasks, and have room for equipment/materials.

• Use a headset for lengthy or frequent telephone work.
• Place the items you use most frequently directly in front of you and organized to avoid excessive extending and reaching.
• Place the phone on the side of your non-dominant hand.
• Position you desk lamp so that it illuminates source documents without causing either glare on the computer screen or direct illumination to your eyes.
• Use “Dynamic sitting”, don’t stay in one static position for extended time periods.
• The angle of the backrest should ensure the trunk and legs should form an angle between 90 & 115 degrees.
• Adjust height of chair so feet rest flat on the floor. Feet, legs, thighs and hips should all be at 90 degrees.
• Hands and wrists should be kept in a straight wrist posture when typing and should not be resting on a pal rest, table, or lap while typing. Wrist and palm rests are designed to provide support during keying and breaks from it.
• Repetitious static work (working at the computer) is very fatiguing on your upper extremities as well as your eyes.
• Schedule breaks every 20 – 40 minutes in order for your body to rest and recover.
• Taking a short break (3 – 5 minutes) does not = stop working. Do other activities such as networking, making copies, filing etc. as breaks from typing.

MONITOR

• Make sure the surface of the viewing screen is clean.
• Adjust brightness and contrast to optimum eye comfort.
• Position the monitor directly in front of you to avoid extra neck twisting.
• Position the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance approximately 18 – 30 inches.
• Position monitors at right angles from windows and light fixtures to reduce glare. Close blinds as needed.

MOUSE, TRACKBALL, OR OTHER INPUT DEVICE

• Placing the mouse, trackball, or other input device too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow and forearm discomfort.
• Do not bend your wrist upward – sit high enough so the desk is slightly below the elbows. This way the hand rests naturally on the mouse.
• Mousing demands a certain level of surface stability; if used on a keyboard try, the tray should not wobble or tip.
• Test different mouse models. Consider size, shape, comfort and special features that could make your job easier.

LIGHTING: Use the following recommendations to reduce eyestrain and eye fatigue:

• Close drapes/blinds to reduce glare.
• Adjust lighting to avoid glare on screen (light source should come at a 90 degree angle, with low watts).
• Avoid intense or uneven lighting in your field of vision.
• Place monitor at 90 degree angle to windows (where possible).
• Reduce overhead lighting (where possible).
• Use indirect or shielded lighting where possible.
• Walls should not be painted with a reflective finish.
• Use a glare screen or monitor shield to reduce glare from overhead lighting.

LAPTOP COMPUTERS: A laptop is still a computer so use a docking station, with proper ergonomics as above, for prolonged use. Laptop transport is important. Consider using wheels, getting rid of extra weight and using a padded shoulder strap.

If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort from working too long at your computer, I would highly recommend visiting your Chiropractor.

If you are in the Newmarket area and are looking for a great Chiropractor I would highly recommend Sheila Keber, Sheila can be reached at the Align Chiropractic Health Centre

Technorati Tags: Align Chiropractic,Workstation Ergonomics

at: 905-953-1008.

Google Has Launched New Browser

Google has launched it’s new Browser, Google Chrome. You can read all about it in the comic book that announced the Browser here: Googlebooks Chrome 

You can download Google Chrome here: http://www.google.com/chrome/

I’ve just downloaded it myself and from playing with it for a few minutes this morning it looks pretty good. It states that your pages will load faster, and it does.

There are some things that you will miss from other Browser’s like my favourite, Firefox, but all in all it does look promising.

Technorati Tags: Google,Google Chrome

Happy 5th Birthday VAnetworking.com

Technorati Tags: VANetworking,5th Birthday Celebration,Virtual Assistants,Virtual Professionals

Feeling Like There’s Never Enough Time to Let Your Hair Down With Some Friends?

Maybe You Just Haven’t Found the Right Kind of R ‘n R!

What if we told you about a new kind of get-together for Virtual Assistants and other Virtual Pros? A casual kind of party that:

• Worked around YOUR schedule?
• Was so much fun you wanted to go back for more?
• Lasted all day and all night so you could come and go as you pleased?
• Had no dress code, no expectations, and no pressure to do or say anything?
• Had fabulous door prizes just for showing up?
• Cost NOTHING?

Sound like your kind of party?

Good! Because starting August 28th until the end of the year you can do all of the above and more.

You’re Invited to the VAnetworking Never Ending Birthday Bash!

And if you are a Virtual Assistant or even just thinking about becoming one, there’s a lot to celebrate:

• 5 years in at VAnetworking.com and people just like you have made us the warmest place on the web for Virtual Assistants globally.
• VAnetworking.com Forums are a community that VAs from around the world have come to rely on for support, camaraderie and invaluable industry knowledge and know-how.
• A membership base of 10,000+ makes VAnetworking.com the largest professional online network for Virtual Assistants—that’s networking you can take to the bank! (And many here have.)
• Being “five” means VAnetworking.com offers a comprehensive array of both FREE and paid services to Virtual Assistants. From sophisticated eSeminars to incredible downloads to a huge network of helpful VAs, we’ve got every need covered for every kind of VA.
• Our new premium membership package—VAinsiders—is wrapping up its first year as the hottest professional membership going for Virtual Assistants around the world.

So put away the email, shove aside the client work (for just a little while) and join the VAnetworking.com Never Ending Birthday Bash … VIRTUALLY!

Just imagine, you get to party every night—heck every week—whenever it suits YOU and YOUR schedule for then next not 5, not 10, not 15 but 20 WEEKS! Talk about the network that never sleeps!

And it’s all just a click away. Any time you need a break, the party will be happening over at VAnetworking.com’s exclusive Party Hall.

Look forward to attending our Birthday Bash knowing that you can:

• Wear whatever you want (elusive “perfect” outfit be gone!)
• Whoop it up while the kids are sleeping (no babysitter required).
• Eat or drink or listen to WHATEVER you want while you have fun.

Oh yeah, did we mention the festivities are totally FREE? You need only be a member of VAnetworking.com Forum (also FREE) to attend.

We can’t divulge all the super cool activities, events and unbelievable prizes that will be going on for the next 20 weeks straight starting August 27th, but we can tell you that you’d be crazy to miss out!

If this sounds like something you could get into (and really, what VA couldn’t?), then RSVP NOW:

Virtual Assistant Networking Events, Birthday Bash Celebration

Canada’s National Do Not Call List

Mark your Calendars, you can start to register on September 30th, 2008 here: Canada’s Do Not Call List

What a welcome relief this is going to be. You will be able to register your cell, fax and phone numbers.

This is renewable after 3 years and it is up to you to make sure that you renew after that time period. I would suggest putting it into Outlook or your preferred Calendaring system to remind yourself.

Registered Charities, Government and a few select groups do not fall under this “Do Not Call” umbrella. All  other  offenders will be faced with nice fines if they do not comply and remove your numbers in 30 days.

FoVA 2009 Announcement

Extraordinary plans are being made for FoVA ’09 and I can tell you that we have an incredible program shaping up for you! 

Mark your calendars!

FoVA ’09 will take place June 4 – 7, 2009 in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada. http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/

To our U.S. colleagues, you can fly in to Buffalo, NY and just cross the bridge!! No need for inflated “international” airfare rates! (You’ll still need a passport though so if you don’t have one, be sure to get one before next spring.)

Come see one of the 7 Wonders of the World!!

In addition to our newly expanded 2009 Forum program, we also have 4 amazing Full Day One-of-a Kind Workshops being offered Pre-Conference on Wednesday June 3^rd! You may never get the chance to participate in these Workshops in person at any other event!

I don’t want to spoil any surprises but I can tell you that we already have commitments from some unbelievably huge VA industry leaders!! 

Check out these names:

Michelle Jamison of MJVA and Associates -  Author and Multi VA Business Guru!

Erin Blaskie of Business Services, ETC – VA Coach and Expert on Passive Income Extraordinaire! … and

Kathie Thomas of Award-winning “A Clayton’s Secretary”® VA Coach, Speaker and Author of the very popular “Worth More Than Rubies” coming all the way from Australia!!! Outstanding!!

(I have 1 other very special guest lined up but I’ll tell you about that next time. J  I can’t let you in on ALL of my secrets now can I?)

To top things off, we will be offering a mini French FoVA Forum for our bilingual colleagues. Imagine a whole day of French Workshops designed and delivered “en français” just for bilingual VA’s!!

FoVA started as a dream for Canadian VAs. It blossomed into a North American event and is turning into a Global Forum!  

If you are serious about your VA business, our industry as a whole and want to meet, network and collaborate with some of the most important and influential VA’s in our industry, be sure to mark June 3 – 7, 2009 on your calendar.

We are working feverishly on the FoVA ’09 website which will provide you with all of the necessary details. We will let you know when that is available in the next several weeks.

We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones in June 2009!!

It Has Been A While

It has been a while since I last posted to my Blog and I thought it was about time that I paid a little more attention to it

I’ve actually just found Windows Live Writer and I think that this new tool will make things so much easier for me to post. I love the fact that I can launch this from my desktop and there are so many cool additional plug-ins available as well. You might just want to check it out.

Where did I find out about Windows Live Writer? From Smashing Magazine – which I just love.

Positive Thinking

There is so much talk lately on the power of positive thinking and The Secret.

I truly believe that we can empower ourselves to rise to the top with a positive mind set.

Keep negative thinking out of the picture and focus on the positive and good in everything in life.
Those who are successful understand that there is power in their thoughts. Power to draw positive results, create realities and tear down the walls that are holding us back. There is true power to overcome the challenges we face each day. Don’t focus on the barriers that seem to stand in our way, eliminate them by focusing on what you dream of and what you want to achieve.

Your mind is a wonderful tool, use it to positively impact the changes that you want to see in your life.

Network to Build Relationships

I belong to several group forums, such as: VANA (Virtual Assistant Networking Association), CVAC (Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection) and The Revolution.

There have been quite a few posts lately from newbies on how to build a Virtual Assistant business.

I am such a strong advocate of networking. I believe that networking is the key to building any business.

Networking is about building relationships and that takes time, as does any solid relationship, whether it be personal or business.

I remember a couple of years ago, there was an entrepreneur who attended a couple of network events in the hopes of gaining business. This was a very talented lady and she could be very personable, but her attitude about networking was very poor. After the second time she attended this particular group, she announced that she wouldn’t be coming back as there wasn’t a business represented there that could afford her services.

Needless to say, this person is no longer in business and has since joined the work force again.

The thing is, these were businesses that were growing. These people were in several different network groups. The very thing that this person could not see was, that although, they may not have needed or could have afforded her services at that time, they may have down the road. There was also a very good possibility that they may have known someone who could have definitely used her services.

Networking is definitely key and so is attitude!

Build relationships, this is the foundation on which the rest of your business will flourish.

Virtual is spreading like wildfire!

“Virtual” is spreading like wildfire. There are so many businesses today that are looking at the “Virtual” way to do business, including lawyers, coaches, project managers, property managers, Realtors and the list goes on and on. With rising gas prices, high rents for office space etc. more and more business owners are looking for alternatives.

 

As a consequence, rising costs of hiring staff, including paying benefits, overtime, sick leave and holiday pay, not to mention the overhead of computer software and updated office equipment, more and more business owners are realizing that there are alternatives and so a lot of them are downsizing their offices and now outsourcing to Virtual Assistants.

 

The benefits of outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant are numerous. A VA as we are called can do all the things that their office staff would do and more. VA’s can answer client phones, answer e-mails, handle customers inquiries, keep databases for their clients, set up their websites and maintain them, make their travel arrangements, do their shopping, mail out special campaigns, design their flyer’s and other marketing material, type letters, pay bills, do bookkeeping and the list goes on and on.

 

A typical day for a Virtual Assistant is not so typical. For instance a client can be in a different Province or Country so a VAs typical day, due to time differences would dictate when they would be working. A lot of times this can work to the VAs advantage and to the advantage of the client. The client can give the VA some work to do at the end of their day and when they arrive at work the next morning the job is completed. They don’t have any down time and the VA just works as if it was an ordinary day.

 

There are times when a client needs something done urgently and so the VA will work sometimes into the early morning hours to get the work completed for them or even on the weekends, whatever it takes to get the job done. The benefit to the client is that they aren’t paying overtime to an employee to get this done, and they are getting professional services and professional work done on otherwise off time.

 

A lot of clients pay by the hour for work that they need done. Sometimes a Virtual Assistant will be hired for a small one time project. Other times they may work for a short time on an ongoing project. Some VA’s have clients that contract them on an ongoing basis. As you can see there are certainly lots of advantages outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant.

What is Your Time Worth

I was asked to speak at a Women’s Network Meeting a few weeks ago and I thought I would post a snippet of my presentation here as I will presenting this same topic again in a couple of weeks at another Women’s Entrepreneurial group.

So what is your time worth?

If you check out some VA websites, including my own, they will give you some pertinent information as to the value in hiring a VA versus a full time Administrative Assistant.

I want to go beyond that right now and ask you a simple question, what is your time worth?

As business owners you are busy building your client base. There are some areas of your business that need to be addressed in the day to day activity of your business. There are the phone calls, the building of your database, the answering of e-mails, sending out those flyers, writing letters, and on and on it goes.

Now I want to ask you a simple question, what is your time worth?

If you were to hire a Virtual Assistant to handle all these little details of your business, what would it cost you? What would you gain?

I want you to think for just a minute, if I wasn’t spending X number of hours doing all the administrative tasks that are necessary in growing my business, how much more money could I save and how much more could I make?

Your business, no matter what it is, is your pride and joy, something that you are passionate about, something that you love to do. So how many hours are you spending doing the tasks that you could outsource to someone else?

Realistically, if you were spending that time on a client or that project, how much money would you actually be making? Now I ask you if you were to hire a VA to help you with those tasks, say at approximately $30.00 per hour, how much money would you still be making?

Now I ask you another question, how much is it costing me to not outsource those tasks?