Around The Clock Solutions

I attended a training yesterday on a super user friendly Real Estate contact management program called Agent 360. We all know that there are many agents that aren’t very “tech” savy, this is the program for them. Not to be confused with 360 Agent, this is a completely different program all together. In my opinion this program is in between Outlook and Top Producer, it’s a middle of the road type contact management program. Statistics show that only 20% of the features are used on the big, flashy CRM’s which boils down to an agent wasting 80% of the cost of the program. Agent 360 is powerful enough to do the job for the average Real Estate Agent. There is an unlimited amount of contact’s that it can store, creating as many Action Plans taylored to their needs as they would like, unlimted catagory creation, drip campaigns, mail merge, calendaring, follow-up reminders – all while having Holo-Docs as an extention of the program. The capabilities for this program to be used by a Real Estate Assistant are endless, that’s why I purchased a subscription. Having the ability to manage all my clients tasks within my own CRM program is a must. The cost when you sign for a subscription is $49.99 per month, but with the promo that I got it was $29.99 per month for a year, compare that to the “big guys” and it’s a bargain. Stay tuned for a follow up once I get settled into the program and I’m able to explain full features. If anyone has experience with Agent 360 please post a comment.

Virtual Assistant – InmanWiki

A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an executive level, administrative professional who works from his/her own office to support clients using some of the latest available technology. The Internet has brought many skilled professionals out of the corporate environment and back into their homes, enabling them to create a better work-life balance, while still performing in the roles they love. The VA is one such professional.

Working from their home-based offices and making use of the Internet, telephone, fax and email, VAs are able to offer small and medium-sized businesses a quality of administrative support, previously only available to the corporate giants, in a cost-effective manner.

A Virtual Assistant’s service offering may vary, but you are guaranteed to find one out there who is able to perform the exact functions your business needs.

1. A VA brings invaluable work experience and training to the table. You may even find that they will teach you a trick or two. Be it software, hardware or grammar, you can be sure that your VA knows his/her stuff!

2. Because VAs run a business themselves, they have a unique understanding of what your needs as a small business owner are. They will be able to assist and advise you on matters pertaining to Marketing, Branding, Web Design and e-Commerce. What avenues of advancement have you not yet explored with your business? Are you sure that you have all your bases covered? Your VA can help.

3. Get organized. If you attend conferences and AGMs I’ll bet you have a ton of business cards cluttering up your desk. Let your VA scan and enter them into a database for you. Future mail campaigns will be a breeze with a ready-made contact list all neatly stored on a CD.

4. Is there a special project boiling over on the back-burner that you’ve been wanting to do? Your VA can help with research, planning and coordination, leaving you free to continue your focus on your core-business function.

5. If you’re too busy to remember important dates, anniversaries and meetings, your VA, with a tailored reminder service, can assist. From ordering flowers for your mother, to sending a thank you note to a client and even arranging gift baskets for investor, they aim to please.

6. Conceptualizing marketing items can be agonizing if you don’t have the know-how, equipment or creative flair. Most VAs have a wide range of software packages at their finger-tips, as well as experience in creating flyers, brochures and business cards for their own company’s. Put your ideas to your VA, they will dazzle you with the results.

7. Planning a much-needed break with your family? Let your VA take care of the details; flights, car hire, accommodation, even a list of “must-see” places of interest. Your VA can handle it all, down to the very last detail.

8. If you’re on the road a lot, chances are your cell-phone is often out of signal range and there is no one in your office to take a message should that all-important client call. With the call answering service provided by many VAs, you can divert your calls and rest assured that your client will receive the personal touch rather than dealing with an annoying automated answering device. Your messages will be passed on to you in order of importance and you won’t need to sort through lengthy messages on voicemail.

9. Conferences and networking functions can take a lot out of a small business owner. It is imperative that you attend and make a dazzling show of it, but in order to do so, you have to neglect existing clients. This will no longer be a problem with a VA. They can handle all your conferencing arrangements; table-hire, banner design and creation, even gift bags for client samples. It’s that easy!

10. If you have a lot of correspondence, and you’re a bit of a “keyboard klutz”, your VA can help. Many VAs offer a fully digitized transcription service. Simply record your memos/letters onto your computer and email them to your VA, s/he will have it neatly typed and ready for mailing in no time! Other VAs may provide dictated typing as a service, so that urgent e-mail is just a phone-call away.

Retrieved from “http://www.inmanwiki.com/Real-Estate/Virtual_Assistant“

Author: Mediamage

Contributors: Jburslem

Inman News – Real Estate News

Here is a great free course on learning how to write a business plan. SBA Course by Palo Alto Software

It’s the premier VA industry educational event of the year, and can be experienced from the comfort of home, with any Internet-connected computer. Attending this convention eliminates travel/airport hassles, airfare costs, hotel bills, fatigue or exorbitant registration fees — or time away from home, family and business!Thirty years ago, corporate and government downsizing was a prevalent occurrence. Office personnel fortunate enough to retain positions eventually became weary of spending countless hours battling traffic, inclement weather, grumpy commuters and overworked, unappreciative supervisors. A new wave of workers, including White Township resident, Wenda Rogers, have joined the fastest growing home-based business phenomena of the 21^st century. On May 17-19, 2007, thousands of virtual professionals working worldwide will gather to learn, network and grow at the second annual Online International Virtual Assistant Convention (OIVAC).The convention offers opportunities for VAs to assemble with VAs located around the globe, they would not normally engage in conversation,” says Sharon Williams, OIVAC founder. “It also presents opportunities to create and nurture relationships that in the future may lead to the development of partnering relationships. During the 3-day event, the OIVAC will host five official international networking activities and four convention sponsors’ showcases. In addition, VAs may visit the exhibitor halls and drop in on VA and non-VA industry exhibitors to get acquainted (VoIP and text compatible).” With the click of a mouse, administrative professionals may find the ultimate response to traffic jams, bad weather, flex time and telecommuting, by investigating this work-from-home phenomenon that could influence your work/life balance. Attend the 2007 OIVAC for more information about the industry that is taking the 21st century by storm. “The industry is growing at a phenomenal rate,” says Rogers, whose company specializes in Real Estate Assistance. Rogers, a former Administrative Assistant, originally conceived the idea for her business in February 2005. She started a new career in order to become a successful business owner. -More-
Local Virtual Assistant Follows Pathway to Success
Page 2.Since 1996, more than 20,000 professionals around the world have become VAs. More than 90 percent of them are highly-skilled working mothers who choose to start their own businesses in order to achieve a better work/life balance. According to a study conducted by Brenner Books in conjunction with A4VB in 2004, the United States accounts for the largest number of VAs followed by Canada, Australia and Great Britain.For more information about the upcoming convention visit www.oivac.com. About Around The Clock Solutions Launched in 2005, (Around The Clock Solutions specializes in assisting Real Estate Agents with the listing, closing and marketing aspects of their business. Visit the website at www.AroundTheClockSolutions.com. About