Search articles from thousands of Examiners
Write for us
New York Business and Finance LA Women's Business Examiner
LA Women's Business Examiner

Outsource your life!

May 25, 12:05 PMLA Women's Business ExaminerZeina Zeitouni
8 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe


Get alerts when there is a new article from the LA Women's Business Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.
Email Address


  Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use

If you are anything like me, you probably have a list of tasks, errands, and time consuming projects that you’ve procrastinated on or just don’t have the time to complete.  You’ve also probably planned on setting aside some time to call and follow up with your clients, check in with vendors, organize your emails and calendar, send gifts, order flowers, schedule a dentist appointment, or perhaps update your marketing lists or do you some extra work on your CSM (customer service management.) Who better than a personal assistant to take over all this busy work? Think you can’t afford one? Well, keep reading to find out how you can get all this done for the cost of a cable TV bill or gym membership. Having a personal assistant is no longer a perk for the rich and famous.

I am a firm believer in the old attaché, “work smarter, not harder. ” If you are overwhelmed with miniscule tasks, then you are not reaching full potential in your business. Hiring a good personal assistant is usually too expensive to make sense for small business owners. However, in this world of “online everything” why not have an online personal assistant at about 2 dollars a day or $8 per hour depending on your service level. Popular sites are www.asksunday.com or www.redbutler.com. AskSunday.com is able to provide this service inexpensively by setting up a call center abroad that operates 24/7 to handle client needs fast and cheap.

The common services requested via these sites include: Data Entry, Internet Research, Outbound calling, Continuous processes, Document Editing, Uploading content onto websites, Managing online postings, Coordinating and booking travel plans, Visually documenting processes, Email correspondence, Miscellaneous – get creative!
You can also use the internet to outsource almost anything and save money doing so. At www.Guru.com, you can hire a woman who has 10 years of experience as an accounting and auditing assistant to prepare your taxes for just $8 an hour. At a traditional accounting firm, a similar service can set you back between $150 and $400 for the entire project. (Be sure to complete a non disclosure agreement to protect your financial information.)
If you want some creative work done and do not want to spend hours learning how to use Photoshop, try www.Crowdspring.com , www.Elance.com, and www.Guru.com. These are good sites to find a freelance designer for things like invitations, photo projects or any other graphics work. Posting a project is free. Once you pick a designer and negotiate a price, you are required to prepay the agreed-upon amount into an escrow account to protect credit card information and keep up professionalism. You can compare reviews and ask bidders to submit portfolios or even sample projects based on your request.
Believe it or not, people have even used this service to break up with a boyfriend/girlfriend or call their mom on mother’s day! I recommend you take care of such matters yourself; no one should be THAT busy. The best part about all of this is that you can be that ‘Superwoman,’ handle it all with ease, and still have time for a guilt-free spa day.
For more info: Contact zzeitouni@gmail.com or call 213-926-7677. (photo from mythbustersbeauty.com)

 

Comments

Name:


Comments:
characters left

NOTE: Do Not Alter These Fields:

Recent Articles

Monday, November 16, 2009
Making introductions is part of our everyday lives. Practice using these guidelines. Good manners are good common sense. Because first impressions are …
Thursday, October 22, 2009
In relation to my previous story on Write Track Admissions, I had to write about a great program that shares the same view about the importance of …

Things to see and do

Big Apple Circus
21 Nov 2009 - 12 pm
Lincoln Center – Damrosch Park
More special event »
Night at the Museum
American Museum of Natural History
Walking Tour: Experience Chinatown
Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)