Author Archives:

It has been both a pleasant surprise and an honour to be nominated for the 2011 Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction Award. I have spent today putting together my submission as to why I deserve this award and in reading over the testimonials from my clients and reflecting on my business, I’m feeling… Continue Reading

The Christmas/New Year period is a time that I usually take some leave from the office and have a good break from the hustle and bustle of the online world I work in.  It’s a quieter time in the business world so is a good opportunity to unwind. This year the office will be closed… Continue Reading

I’m never sure whether to say ‘birthday’ or ‘anniversary’ but either way today is a celebration! Today marks the fourth year since Butterflies Secretarial Solutions first began operating. Happy Birthday/Anniversary to us! The Oscar Speech I love this business, this industry and all the opportunities and avenues that have been opened up to me since… Continue Reading

There has been some recent interesting discussion on one of the VA networks I belong to regarding storing files for clients. How long do Virtual Assistants (VAs) store your electronic files? It depends on the VA. Some have continued to stockpile files and are now reaching a point where they need to make a decision… Continue Reading

I came across this on one of the VA Networks and thought it was too good not to share. 30 second speech by Bryan Dyson, former CEO of Coca-Cola: Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They are WORK, FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS AND SPIRIT, and you’re… Continue Reading

To sub or not to sub? As a Virtual Assistant (VA) I have sub-contracted out jobs many times with varying levels of success and I’m also a sub-contractor myself. I like to think I’m a very good subbie, well the wonderful VAs I work with keep coming back so that says something about my skills… Continue Reading

Over the past 12 months I have been well aware of the impact of social media on business. Facebook has transformed from being ‘for teens and young people’ to being a valuable tool for promotion of businesses and interaction with colleagues and potential and existing clients. Twitter has gone from a ‘passing fad’ to the… Continue Reading

We are pleased to advise that Butterflies Secretarial Solutions has been certified as an Australian website. So what does this actually mean? Well it is not a recommendation or endorsement of our services (but you guys know we are great anyway) or any kind of quality control. What it IS is verification that this website… Continue Reading

I have recently been astounded to discover that I have been a victim of an unscrupulous small business operator. I have discovered that even when you have been around for a while and take due care when dealing with people, you can still be taken for a ride. This is the story: I was approached… Continue Reading

Have you ever wondered how people know whether an email is a potential scam? There are some easy ways to spot a scam email if you know what to look out for.  Here is an example of one I received yesterday: Email title was Thank you for buying iTunes Gift Certificate! Hello! You have received… Continue Reading