My other half’s iPhone4 was not ringing. All other tones, alerts were working fine. After checking all the sound settings were good and the mute button wasn’t set, I told him to reboot the phone. In his wisdom, he decided to take it to the genius bar.

I did some googling and found that this is a common problem with iPhone4 as many forums have covered it, including apple forums. No concrete solution seems to have been put forward yet.

At arriving at the store the staff had a look, determined as I did that all the settings were correct but were baffled as they had “never seen this problem before.” He left without a solution. Now I realize the staff there are not geniuses but you would at least expect them to be aware of a relatively widespread complaint about one of their products. Wouldn’t you?

So to cut the story short he got home, rebooted the iPhone (by holding the power key and home key down together for a few seconds) and it worked.

Was that so hard?

Hopefully this simple solution will help you too.

Fiona

Check out this link for some great tips on Working with a virtual assistant.

May your business prosper and grow

Fiona

There may be a simple solution to your problem.  If you are the sort of person who mutes their phone for privacy etc, a different setting may be all you need.  Try this…

1. Click on Settings

2. Click on Sounds

3. Set Change with Buttons to “OFF”

Voila!  Calls and alerts can now be heard.  What was happening before is that with that setting, everytime you muted the phone the ringtones and alerts would (naturally), but unmuting the phone did not reset the ringtones/alerts.  iPhone bug?  Possibly.  A simple workaround? Definately.

Happy networking!

Fiona

This is an old post of mine, but worth putting up here again.
Wikipedia definition states Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand. The term “cloud” is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used in the past to represent the telephone network,[5] and later to depict the Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents.[6] Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online which are accessed from another web service or software like a web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers.

Cloud computing impact on small business

Small Businesses are benefiting the most from accessing cloud based programs. The likes of Google Docs, Skype, Dropbox, Saleforce, Zoho and many more mean that the IT infrastructure costs for these small businesses is no-where near as large as it used to be. The ongoing benefit is that with continual improvement in technology it is easier to keep up ‘with the times’ and ahead of your major competitors.
There are some new terminologies that go along with Cloud Computing. SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. What do that stand for?
SaaS – Software as a Service – a finished application that you rent and customise
PaaS –Platform as a Service – the delivery of a computing platform and software subsystems as a service.
IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service – deliver computer infrastructure, typically a virtualisation of computers and their operating systems environment as a service

So, what does that mean to you?

For the average Joe, its the online program we would subscribe to in lieu of buying an expensive OTS product. Eliminating the need for additional servers, hardware or software. Check out this site listed at the bottom for heaps of Cloud programs ready for your perusal.
Who is ahead of the curve?
The virtual assistant industry is utilising many of the available cloud programs. From sharing docs through Google, saving customers money through Skype or remote logging access via LogMeIn. VA’s are constantly scouring the net for that one program that will improve not only their business, but also improve the efficiency of the service they provide to thousands of customers across the globe. But like any technology, it is soon superseded by the next best thing and you can guarantee that your virtual assistant will be the first in line to evaluate it for business compatibility.
It seems that Cloud Computing is here to stay, so to take advantage of what it has to offer. It could be that little difference between pulling ahead of your competition or falling behind.

List of Cloud Computing sites

www.salesforce.com
www.google.com
www.zoho.com
www.sugarsync.com
www.logmein.com

www.dropbox.com

I have been super busy lately, as my twitter tweeps would be aware of. My ‘other half’ and I have commenced a new company. Trench Safe Pty Ltd. Many late hours, joys and setbacks finally bought our hard work to life this week. Check it out at Trench Safe.

Apart from this Samurai is also paddling along nicely with regular work for 2 companies. Each role completely different to the other, which keeps it interesting. One in software testing and the other a mix of general office admin as well as social media and website updates.

So, my apologies to those of you who have been waiting for news and newsletters from me. Now that my 12-14 hour days have reduced I can re-assess and re-focus my energies back to communicating with you all.

Catch up again soon. In the meantime may your business prosper.

Fiona

1. Take an honest look at yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills? How did those influence—positively or negatively—your transition?

2. Step up your self-care. Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing. You need self-care now more than ever.

3. Engage your curiosity. What went wrong, or right? What could you have done better? What worked really well?

4. Focus on what you want, and less on what you don’t want. Keep your eye on the prize.

5. Find support. Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek the outside support of friends or professionals.

6. Work on your thoughts. Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope and happiness.

7. Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change.

8. Create your own rite of passage. Ceremony and ritual help with all transitions.

9. Let go of how things were “supposed to be” and accept “how things are.” Find appreciation for what is.

10. Keep things in perspective. Or try on a new perspective. Don’t get stuck. Remember, the only constant is change.

So, when did my work life balance get so out of balance. I run two businesses, help my other half with his when I can and try to keep control on the house. Hmmm….. Where does the family fit?

Does any of this sound familiar?

My NEW new years first quarter resolution is to remember to work to live.
1. Don’t go on computer until after kids in bed and had mummy cuddle tv time.
2. Be extra vigilant in organising my to do lists and customer expectations.
3. Have EVERY Sunday off!

Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses before the bloom is gone. Same thing applies with spending time with your kids while they want to spend time with you.

May your business prosper and grow, while you smell the roses.

Fiona

It a) appeals to an audience on a massive scale – lovers worldwide now take affront if they don’t receive a token on this famed marketing day.
b) promotes a simple concept to all – show me you love me.
c) sells the product – this is the last step. Advertising the concept by using the product but not directly promoting the product. ie; an ad showing a happy lady receiving a card which professes love. Close of ad is the logo.

There is much more to take away from Valentines Day. For me, I’ll stick with the wisdom of good marketing.

May your business prosper and grow.

Fiona

Have you kept on top of your books, your paperwork, customer contact, emails, newsletters, quotes, orders, reorders? …the list is endless.  I bet you’re sitting there going. ” Holy hell! I can’t do all that and build my business. ”  Then you’ve been naughty…very naughty and you need a good…talking to.  Because now you will have to spend our Christmas break playing catch up instead of spending that hard earned money on a holiday with your family.

Well then, what have we learned from 2010.  Be nice. That is where me and my team come in.  For the fraction of the cost of admin staff, we can get you in holiday mode for 2011.

Don’t go getting a spanking next year!  ; )

May your business prosper and grow

Fiona

1. Skills and/or Experience

I say ‘and/or’ here as it is difficult to have the experience if you are straight out of uni or an apprenticeship. If you have the skill and the confidence to pursue your dream, then all it takes is one person to give you a go. Just make sure you get that testimonial for your website or resume. Word of mouth advertising is the best you can get.

2. Know your market (niche)

Have a clear idea of who you are aiming your business at. This will help focus your marketing energies in the one direction rather than trying to cover all bases and missing the mark as a generalist rather than a specialist. Research the needs and wants of your niche market so that you have an understanding of what makes them tick and how you can direct your advertising to peak their interest. Prove yourself to be ‘in their corner’.

3. Organisation

No don’t become an organisation, just get organised. Be a professional. Make sure your can meet your interviews, quotes and deadlines. Referring to my previous blog of Work Smarter, Not Harder:

a. Use a diary – this allows you to clearly see your daily goals.
b. Allow sufficient completion time for each activity – giving yourself a chance to achieve your goals.
c. Use a reminder service – an alert on your phone is sufficient to prompt you to move on or re-assess your goals for the day.
d. Delegate where needed – if you need help, get it. Ask a colleague, friend or hire someone to help you out short/long term.

4. Rights Tools for the Right Job

Whether it be tools of physical trade (plumbers, electricians etc) or tools of the virtual trade (design editors, remote access applications), the right tool will help maximise your efficiency and professionalism on the job. Research, again is the key. With technologies changing so fast it is important we keep up with things like manufacturers information and cloud computing advances. For example, where would a tradie be without his electric tools or a programmer without their applications.

Finally and most importantly…

5. Ethics

The days of the perceived dodgy contractor needs to come to an end. As mentioned in point 1, word of mouth advertising is the best you can get. But that also works in reverse if someone feels they have received less than adequate service or results. In some cases you need to remember that ‘the Customer is always right’ even though you may not agree. A showing of goodwill is also beneficial to your business standing. Do something for free, not because of the advertising it gives you, but because it is the right thing to do. Ever heard of ‘Pay It Forward’? This means doing something charitable to someone who is in need, not because they did something good for you first. I have seen this concept work first hand and have started to adopt this credo into my own way of doing business.

Hopefully, with these 5 tips to success your business will have a strong foundation.

May your business grow and prosper

Fiona