I didn’t know this until I read Nikki Pilkington‘s blog yesterday, but the EU has a new directive that came into force on 25 May 2011, which deals with the data collection through Cookies. Oohps. If you really want to read them, they’re here

It’s enough to say I have no idea what Portugal’s stance is on this. What with the euro ‘issue’ and our country’s ever increasing debt, Cookie violations may not be on the top of their list of ‘stuff to do.’

However, it’s something to bear in mind as there’s bound to be a lawyer that is sniffing out big, fat cheques on this one.

Basically, if you’re running a WordPress site from anywhere in the EU, or another site that collects user data, you need a ‘We use cookies, hope you don’t mind’ pop-up before they can access your site. A bit of a bore for users? Maybe. Will we see a drop in traffic to site? Who knows. But I think users will appreciate this ‘heads up’ and see it for what it is (over and above EU bureaucracy..!)

My thanks to Sarah Arrow at Birds on the Blog for putting this plug-in together. You can get yours here, for £10.

Coping with the isolation of working from home

Creating the right environment to work at your best is always important – and it’s no different when you’re self-employed.

I’ve recently been presenting at a series of Conferences called “Getting Out to Get On” for civil servants who are considering careers outside the civil service. At the last conference, a gentleman who was thinking about becoming self-employed asked me about the isolation of working from home and how I deal with that.

And I think it is a particularly interesting question because it’s something I’ve had to develop.

I’m naturally quite an outgoing individual and I get my energy from interacting with other people. If I work from home all day and don’t see or interact with anybody, I slow down. It’s almost like my batteries gradually wear out. And by the end of a day or two, I’m a miserable woman. It’s not great for my marriage because my husband comes home from work and finds me in a bad mood. But it’s also not good for my productivity because I just get slower and slower.

So I need to manage myself and my diary so that I have people I interact with during the day. Those interactions might be with clients or it might be with other business people.

One thing that’s quite interesting when you leave employment is you lose a bit of a sense of belonging. You’re no longer part of an organisation, no longer a member of a team. You don’t have colleagues around you so much anymore. But what you find or what you hopefully create is a new “gang”, most probably a gang of self-employed people or a gang of business people or a gang of people that work from home. In other words, you build around you a group of like-minded people who are in a similar position to you who you can socialise and interact with.

And those interactions don’t have to be face to face. While its lovely to meet up for a coffee and a chat, that’s not always feasible because of time and geography. But with the wonderful technology now available to us, tools like Skype and Social Media like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook it’s never been easier to engage with others no matter where they are.

And that’s important for professional reasons as well as personal ones.

The other challenge I personally have is that I have a need to talk things through. In fact I quite often don’t know what I think until I hear it come out of my mouth which means that, if I’m working on something for a client, I need to make sure I build in time where I can talk it through with someone, usually one of my business partners or my mentor but sometimes someone who works in the same field and is part of my professional network.

So, if you’re a gregarious individual who likes to be around people and is thinking about becoming self-employed, don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be an isolating experience as long as you have a good level of self-awareness and understanding of what you need.

About Antoinette Oglethorpe
Antoinette has made a career out of managing her career. She has worked for some of the world’s leading multinational organisations and moved onwards and upwards on a number of occasions. Well-known names include Procter & Gamble, Accenture, Avanade (a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft) and XL Capital. What she learnt in that time was that proactively managing your career relies on personal leadership, leadership of others and a strong ability to influence.

After a successful 18 year career in corporate organisations working in HR & Organisational Development, Antoinette took the plunge and became self-employed as a consultant and coach in 2007.

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When you go from a corporate environment to working at home, you can’t help but enjoy the sudden freedom you feel. You get access to your own kettle, your own desk or dining table and your own fridge and of course you save all those hours you would otherwise have spent commuting to the office. You can also be more efficient because having less people around you means you have less meetings which, let’s face it, often are nothing more than people wasting time talking about doing what they could actually be doing.

Working from home has great advantages, but it also comes with hazards. You have to be disciplined, avoiding the temptation to stare at the TV or focusing on DIY or sorting out the laundry when you have deadlines to meet. Home working is a lonely affair where you can easily find yourself struggling to get going.

For me, having worked at home for more than a decade, I have no problem with the solitude or the discipline. Instead of being in a room full of people, you surround yourself with virtual colleagues, virtual assistants and clients you “visit” via Skype. No problem there.

There is one thing, though, I have never overcome – the loss of that time I used to spend commuting to London. I would drive to a car park and take a short walk to the train station, then a half hour train journey followed by a tube or bus across London. During that journey I would allow my mind to wander, I would organise my workload or develop ideas. That commuting time allowed me to have my own private brainstorming session, every day. I would get to work energised with a list of actions.

When you work at home, you walk from one room to another and sit down to start working right away – usually checking emails and news first, meaning there is no time to think, to analyse and to plan. Nowadays I find myself seeking out opportunities to get some free-thinking time – I will go to the bank and take an extra half hour to sit in a coffee shop, or I’ll do the school run and then go for a breakfast instead of coming straight home.

Create some time every day to just sit and think, plan, process and brainstorm. That discipline is the hardest one for me to maintain, and for that reason I often find myself envying those who have the luxury of a morning train journey to work.

Steve Masters is an online marketing consultant.
www.dotponto.com/blog

It’s a fair point. Cash flows, priorities and work loads change and it’s good to reassess your outgoings on a regular basis. The idea of working with another person can feel intimidating; ‘justifying’ working with someone can seem as though you’re saying you can’t handle it all anymore, rather than saying you know it’s sensible, profitable and responsible to outsource some if not all of the day to day admin.

Those that cling on to the excuse that they cannot afford me, usually, in my experience, have something else to hide. Possibly they don’t have my fees to hand, but more often than not there’s a different reason that they don’t want to work with me.

Signing off on a retainer can be daunting, especially when you’ve never met the person you are going to be working with (and quite possibly never will!). If it’s well and truly about the cold $$s, I try and resolve their reluctance by asking a few questions. I usually have the following to hand:

1. “If I don’t work with you now, what will it truly cost you?” Time does equal money. If you’re not on the road making sales because you’re answering emails and taking phone calls, how much will that cost you?

2. “Can you see yourself to being able to commit in the near future?” Often, this can make them realise that their situation may not change in the sort term, and therefore either they need you to help them (if your services will help with that), or they may then disclose the real reason.

3. “What can I do to make our relationship seem worthwhile?” I provide a bespoke service, so what is it that they need?

4. “If I lowered my fees, would this help at all?” Not to get a lower fee, but to try and find out what other costs they have to consider.

6. “Are there one or two services I can offer, instead of the whole bundle?” If money is really an issue, offering to work on one or two areas of concern is a great way into clients getting used to working with an off-site administrator and building trust.

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, an off-site business support service.  Red Box Virtual Office isn’t the cheapest of services, but it’s value for money and then some!  Find out more

For the majority of those 12 months, that making do hasn’t been a problem. I can still make and receive calls and text messages, but that’s it. On the few occasions that I have been caught short, so to speak, I’ve called in some favours from friends and colleagues and got by.

But now that’s all changed! Recently I upgrade to a sleeker, faster, client base! One where 9-5 just doesn’t cut it anymore. 7-7 more like. 6 Days A Week! Which is great in that my fees have gone up and I can say ‘no’ to ad-hoc-ers if I feel like it. But it does mean that the, “Sorry, I’m out of the office, can I get back to you on that one,” is wearing rather thin.

Blessed are the on-board clients. For they shall offer to pay half.

One of the reasons I am yet to get a smartphone was the outlay. It’s at times like these that I still wish I was in the UK. A handset here would cost me in the region of €500 and that’s before applying tariffs, internet access, 3G or whatever else I needed to get going. AND that’s before Emma goes App Shopping! However, as my ever-insightful hubby says, think of it as a computer, not as a phone and the cost doesn’t seem so hefty. Cost-per-use, say I.

So, I put it off and off and off and then the other week said client says to me that she would offer to pay half the set up costs as it would benefit her enormously and wouldn’t it benefit me with my other clients if I really was fully mobile? “Yes,” I said, “Too right it would. Thank you very much.” And off I went to do my research. My only ‘must have’ is syncing with Outlook. Client requirement. No discussion.

Which is where I became stuck. Because there’s so much choice and not just with a handset. Once you’ve got your phone, choose your tariff, your apps, ring tone… I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

I took a straw pole of my friends on Facebook. iPhone they overwhelmingly said. Although, Karen, bless her heart, said “Blackberry for work, iPhone for play.” The client’s only paying half on one phone, sweetie!

Then I went to What Hi Fi Sound & Vision. It’s a magazine that Loz gets sent over from the UK, by his Mum! Usually, it’s all BlueRay players and cabling (*stifle yawn*), but as the interest and competition in tablets and smartphones has increased, What Hi Fi have taken an interest and undertake great reviews. Much to my joy. They love the iPhone. Period.

I asked a friend in the know. He writes stuff for Apple. “iPhone,” he said. “Can’t be doing with Microsoft.” I’m paraphrasing here as he actual words were unkind (and in Portuguese).

So an iPhone it is. I’m off this weekend to see who’s doing the better deal on their phones and tariffs. And then there’s all the lovely apps one can download.

I may be some time.

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is a relative new comer to the joys of Apple-ownership. An iMac for a desktop, she supports businesses and individuals worldwide. Red Box Virtual Office can enable you to free yourself from the day to day admin of your business so that you can focus on what you enjoy and what makes you money.  Find out more.

It’s also a cannot-do-without business tool. It was one of the first things one of my new clients asked me; “Do you have Skype?” he asked. “Yes I do, and I love it,” I replied. It made him happy and we all know that is a great way to start off  a new business relationship – keeping the client happy is key!

And now Skype have introduced Video Conferencing. Fabulous. As you know, if you have a web cam, you can video chat with anyone else on Skype. But if you wanted to make a conference call, or just chat to siblings & parents at the same time, you were restricted to using just the VOIP system. Skype Video Conferencing is their answer to group video calling. It’s a great system. Clear streaming and a great picture. It puts you and your colleagues in one place at the same time, making collaboration and catching up a breeze.

I use video conferencing and conference call VOIP systems from other suppliers when I’m asked to, but there’s always a PIN number to remember and the connection can be a bit erratic. It seems, too, that you’re always waiting for someone to come on to the call and once everyone is where they are meant to be, there’s always the problem that they will talk over each other. A nightmare if you’re then going to have to transcribe the meeting!

With Skype group video, there’s no PIN number and is very easy to set up. Of course, everyone has to be on Skype and be in your Contacts list. You then have to create a group of the people you want to have in your video conference, so it’s a little more fiddly than having a group chat or call. But once it’s set up, that’s it. You can add people in during the call if you’ve forgotten someone or you think that it would be great to include someone from Marketing or Strategy.

Unlike the basic software from Skype, the group video calling package is not free. It is, however, only €5.99/month + VAT and if you’re a business user you can add it to your Skype Manager set up. If you run Skype as an individual, you can add Skype group calling to your system by buying a premium subscription, which is again only €5.99/month + VAT. There’s a free 7 day trial that you can download and play with, which I highly recommend.

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, an off-site business support service.  An avid Skype fan, Emma can take on those administrative tasks that are no longer enjoyable, sensible or profitable for you to do yourself. Find out more

I digress. The reason for this quick blog post is that the Summer is here, but how many working folk are really taking advantage? Think you’re too busy to take a summer holiday? Think again!

The brilliance of a Virtual Assistant is that you can hire and fire at will. I mean it. And I won’t take it personally. Maybe for 49 weeks out of the year you’ve got it all covered. Your office is working smoothly, emails are answered in a timely manner and your clients love you. But you know you need some ‘down time’, the kids want to hang out and the dog wants to go to the beach. And that person in your bed? That’s your husband!!

You don’t really want to take your iPhone away with you (think of the sand damage…) and will the camping site in Tuscany have WiFi? Even if it’s just someone to cover the phones or check email twice a day, wouldn’t it be worth it? Your clients may know that you’re going away, but as you’re not going to Tweet your holidays (that would be a bit dangerous on SO many levels), there’s the chance someone will call.

For the price of a pizza on the Campo in Siena, you can have a virtual assistant cover the basics. Add in a bottle of wine and we’ll do a whole lot more. Give me a call today! + (0) 20 3239 7123.

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, an off-site business support service.  Emma loves a pizza and a glass of wine as much as the next girl! Red Box Virtual Office can take care of the basics while you take a well deserved holiday. Find out more

Don’t ask, don’t get. Isn’t that the motto? But in this case it’s true. No-one (well, almost no-one) will provide you with great press off their own back (who has the time these days), so you must ask.

And here’s why:

Hide Your Own Light
If I rave about me and how great I am, there is usually only my Dad that will get on the bandwagon. However, if a client raves about me, then there’s just a chance that someone else will believe him, look me up and possibly get in touch. Especially if there’s a photo of the client and a link to his website, too. (I’m clever, but not clever enough to make up a whole new website to make it look like I have clients..!)

The Power of the Twit
Or should that be Tweet? I never know. Anyway, if someone else says something great about you, you can pass it on. Use Facebook, Twitter, Linked In etc. to do the marketing for you.

1 + 1 = 4
As my better half will tell you, maths is not my strongest subject. But if you get people talking about you, the chances are that they will drive you both traffic and clients over the long term. I have an on/off client (which suits us both, I hasten to add). She recommended me to her brother and a friend. They saw her testimonial on my website. They are both now clients I do something for every day. These people meet on an irregular basis. They chat. About me. Amongst friends and colleagues… See how this could never end..?

So ask for a testimonial from someone you’re working for today. If you want to know how to ask, or what you’d like them to say about you, get in touch and I can give you some pointers. Best of luck!

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is not afraid to ask.  She is also the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, an off-site business support service.  Red Box Virtual Office can enable you to free yourself from the day to day admin of your business so that you can focus on what you enjoy and what makes you money.  Find out more

Not long ago I recommended this time tracking software which I found from My Hours and which was free (& we all like free!).

Now, after being guided to it by a client, I am in love with the online time tracking software from Fourteen Dayz.

And what’s not to love? It’s incredibly easy to use, looks great and the downloadable reports come in Excel or PDF. This one you do have to pay for, from $5/month for up to 7 clients, but for a great, functional system that does what it says on the tin it’s well worth it. You can even give other team members or clients access to it, too.

This online time tracking system gets a 2 thumbs up!

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, a off-site business support service.  Red Box Virtual Office can enable you to free yourself from the day to day admin of your business so that you can focus on what you enjoy and what makes you money.  Find out more.

We are all aware that blogging works; it’s a great and cheap way to get your message out there. But how many of us walk the walk as well as talking the talk?

So Jessica asked us what we thought and here are the results. We know that blogging is good for our business, but, hell, it frustrates us too!

Read more…