Can You Say - Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

One of my Internet savvy clients contacted me last week in a panic about a virus that hit her computer. This client knows not to open unidentified emails, but she was in a rush and did not realize that she opened a specific email. When she did this a virus was released and her entire system crashed.

She had her husband who is extremely technology oriented and had his team of computer consultants work on the problem. This took a couple of days and still the results were not great. So, she then contacted Microsoft and they had her use this program to look deeper into her system.

She was quite impressed with the program since it found several worms, small viruses, etc and it totally cleaned her computer.

As a real estate virtual assistant I am always looking at programs to help me in my virtual assistant business as well as my clients, so this morning I saw this product on ZDnet.com and felt it was worthy of mentioning. You might want to bookmark it and try the free trial to see what is lurking on your computer.

Here is the information from ZDnets newsletter.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware. It includes a number of features, including a built in protection monitor that blocks malicious processes before they even start. Version 1.25 adds advanced technology to delete files on reboot, ability to run a truly silent install, and support for Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, and Polish languages.

Retagger - Get IT NOW!

Create a new profile for yourself. As a real estate virtual assistant I have found this geat little tool to be easy and fun at the same time. Retaggr is a site that allows you to enter the information for all of your online profiles in one place. The best part is that retaggr uses the information you input to generate an "interactive Web 2.0 social and business card." You can then embed the card on your blog, website, or email, and then when people view it, they can click on the icons and be taken instantly to the site of their choice, where they will land on your profile.

Kim Hughes

Go to retaggr and sign up for an account.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

I just had to share this story with my fellow real estate virtual assistants and virtual assistants. This is so true. Take a moment to read and then read it every time something happens that is a negative.

Enjoy from one real estate virtual assistant to another.

“The Law of the Garbage Truck”

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly…!

So I asked, “Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car AND sent us to the hospital!”
That is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

So take your own garbage out …but not out on others

Real Estate Virtual Assistants - Organize Your Time!

Owning a business as a real estate virtual assistant it took awhile and a lot of changes have been made over the past 10 years in how I structure my time, but I think I have finally mastered it! Yeah right!

As a mother of three boys who are very active in sports as well as in academics I find myself with little time for me!

As I have always said, God first, Family second, Career third. It is hard to balance everything and keep everyone happy. Am I right? Am I the only one with the never ending problem?

What I have found is getting plenty of rest really does help! I now structure my time to get up before anyone else in the house so that I can have my 20 minutes with The Lord, spend time with my all my pets (3 Burmese Cats, a3 pound Yorkie and then my lab, retreiver and collie), and tend to the things that are important to me. Once the house awakes I am in full gear to prepare them for school. Once I arrive home to a house of peaceful quite, I begin my work day. Take a lunch break away from the computer, do a little housework, prepare dinner, then I go back and start my afternoon just as fresh as I did that morning. Then I pick up the kids from school, run my errands and when we get home I get the boy's situated with a snack, homework and their chore list. YES, my boy's have chores! It is good for them! Then I work till 6:00 PM and I am a mom for the evening. Once everyone is in bed I might go back and finish up a project and then off to bed.

I also have found that my weekends are important to my family, so again I might awake before everyone else to get a couple of hours in, but once they are up - I am mom and they have my full attention.

Does it work? Well, nothing works to perfection, but I try and give it my best shot!

Now that School starts soon I find myself re-organizing my day around the husband and kids. LOL! Oh! and did I mention I have my middle son is now a senior who will graduate this year and preparing him for college is another ballgame.

But, I love my life and would not trade anything for it! And I am look forward to another year of front row seat at every high school football game watching my two boy's work hard and love the game of football.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant Uses Cool Tools!

One of the most valuable business tools I own is a Blackberry Curve SmartPhone. Because I am real estate virtual assistant I understand how important it is to have email, text messaging, instant messaging and the ability for my clients and my team to call me anytime, anywhere.

I love my Blackberry Smartphone and because I am a virtual office I can work anywhere, virtually.

If you do not subscribe to the Blackberry newsletter then you are missing out on information that can help you be a better virtual assistant, especially a real estate virtual assistant.

Check out the latest tool offered - Flickr and get tips to make your phone work for you.

Here is the latest information the Blackberry newsletter offers on the coolest tool - Flickr

Share Your Photos with the World with FlickrTM Uploader for BlackBerry Smartphones
Fans of FlickrTM know it’s a fast, easy way to put photos online to share with family and friends. The new Flickr Uploader for BlackBerry® smartphones means you can now organize, customize and share your photos – all from your smartphone, as soon as you take them! 1,2,3
It’s easy to post pictures to FlickrTM from just about anywhere using your BlackBerry® smartphone. Snap a picture, save it to your choice of photo album, tag it, and even adjust its size. Then post it with just a few quick clicks (see the quick usage guide below). The photos are virtually automatically uploaded to your online Flickr album.

PRESS RELEASE - The FIRST Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Kim Hughes - Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Kim Hughes & Company, 209 County Road 2701,
903-569-6763


Kim Hughes & Company Releases the First Handbook for
Real Estate Virtual Assistants

(Mineola, Texas, June 2, 2008) - Kim Hughes & Company proudly announces the release of The First Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook.

As the title implies, this is the first handbook for virtual assistants interested in serving the real estate industry. According to Kim Hughes, “The real estate industry is the largest industry in the USA and there are over 1,289,444 real estate agents as of this writing. Now think about this…there are approximately 350 real estate virtual assistants!” There is a large potential for success in this field, but as with any niche market, professionals must be knowledgeable about the industry in order to succeed. The First Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook provides valuable insight into the real estate industry and offers detailed information to help service providers break into this exciting, growing field.

With over 17 years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industry, Kim Hughes is a highly accomplished virtual assistant whose specialty is providing marketing and administrative support to real estate professionals. She is also a founder of IREAA (International Real Estate Assistants Association) and the owner of Kim Hughes & Company, which offers virtual assistance to real estate professionals worldwide. For further information about Kim Hughes & Company, visit http://www.kimhughes.com/ or call 903-569-6763.

New Google Group - REVA Rainmakers

There is a new group in town and you are invited to join us! Are you a real estate virtual assistant or if you are looking into this specialized niche come on over and join us. Subscribe below.

We look forward to meeting you!

Subscribe to Real Estate Virtual Assistant Rainmakers

Email:

Visit this group

What Services Do You Offer As A Real Estate Virtual Assistant

As the real estate market changes, so do the responsibilities of a real estate virtual assistant.

If you have been offering your services to real estate professionals for sometime now you might notice that when the market is busy, you are busy coordinating listings, leads, handling the transaction to ensure a successful closing. This might lead to not enough time to maintain the real estate professionals daily tasks or special projects.

When the real estate market is slow you might find yourself with a little more time on your hands. This is a great time to accomplish those long-term goals your clients might have had on the back burner.

Here is a list of some of the projects you can update or begin for your client to get them ready so when the real estate market turns around they are ready and they have the exposure to get the listings or the buyers.

1. Update their pre-listing package
2. Update their listing presentation
3. Update the content, photos, resume, and keywords/meta tags on their website
4. Review designations that might be of a benefit to them. There are news one coming out and you should be aware of them.
5. Organize and update their contact management program
6. Organize their computer files - You will need a program to access their computer. Something like www.LogMeIn.com or www.GoToMyPC.com are good one's.
7. Review and update their buyer and seller campaigns.
8. Create a blog & Submit to various blog directories.
9. Update their newsletter with new photos, new designations, market stats, etc.
10. Review programs that might prove to be a tremendous benefit to the real estate professional.
11. Set up their profile on social networking sites.
12. Review the direct marketing program.
13. Create templates for flyers, postcards, etc.
14. Update their testimonials. If they don't have any request them from past clients.
15. Explore other areas of their business to create a powerful marketing campaign for the local market as well as for the Internet.

As you can see there are a variety of ways that the real estate professional can use your services in a slow market. And, it is important to know how to do any of the services you offer or requested to perform.

Anyone can say they are a real estate virtual assistant, but can you walk the walk and talk the talk? If not, then you have a responsibility to learn and learn on your own time, not the agents.

If you are looking to add real estate services to your resume, but not sure where to begin then this is a good time to have a virtual assistant coach who can mentor you through the services you would like to offer.

And, if you are looking to offer real estate services now is a good time to focus on adding this to your resume and to your website.

The real estate market is slowly turning around as it always does, so get your real estate client ready so they stand out above the rest. They will truly appreciate your efforts.

Craigslist May Limit HTML In Listings Ads

As a real estate virtual assistant - if you are using Poslets or VFlyer to create professional listing ads you might be interested in reading this article from INMAN News.

Craigslist is considering a proposal to limit the use of HTML when posting listings on the site.

They are considering the use of basic HTML though, but there seems to be issues with CSS.

Read this article by clicking here.

Another Year! Special Offer

Well, I am coming up on my birthday again. It seems like I just had one, but time flies when you are having fun!

I look at my past year as a real estate virtual assistant and cannot believe all that I have accomplished! I finished my first ebook - The Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook, which was a major accomplishment of mine and I am very proud of it and what it has to offer today's virtual assistant who would like to add real estate services to their portfolio.

And, with it being my birthday - I thought I would celebrate by offering The Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook for the lowest price ever - $69.00! Now that is a sweet price! And, to make my gift to you even sweeter I am offering my Business Organizer for FREE! This is my way of saying thanks and I know that you will find this added value of $29.99 to be a huge benefit to your business!

You owe it to yourself to be the best in your field and in order to be your best you need to be organized! My Business Organizer not only helps you stay organized, but is a great tool to have in case of an emergency!

But, this SWEET offer is only available for a short time, so rush over and purchase The Real Estate Virtual Assistant Handbook TODAY and get my free bonus gift!

Online Reputation Management Guide

No matter what type of business you are in there is always going to be someone talking about you and what you have to offer. That is just the way life is in the business world. This could be a good thing and then again it could be a bad thing. With more and more people looking to the Internet for information about the services they need they might come across negative information.

You need to always stay a step ahead and be aware of what is being said about you.

In my research I came across a website that you might be interested in or at least bookmark for future reference. It is worth your time to take a look and at least be aware of what you can do in the event someone says negative things about you or your business.

As a real estate virtual assistant and one that is well known in the industry I am always making sure that I represent the virtual assistant industry with a positive image and with the utmost integrity.

IREAA Teleseminar for May 2008 - Transaction Coordination

Transaction Coordination
Wednesday, May 21st ~ 12pm Pacific/1pm Mountain/2pm Central/3pm Eastern
________________________________________
Join Cindy Pree of Kulshan Group
on May 21, 2008 as she leads a Discussion on

Transaction Coordination

Cindi Pree has worked virtually for more than 20 years (although without benefits of technology in the beginning!). She has focused on real estate support for several years and exclusively on Transaction Coordination (and listing management for the TC clients) for 5 years. Cindi and her team have closed more than 500 transactions, totaling over $90 million in gross property sales. This class will give an overview of TC, discuss the important skill set and tools for this work, and give plenty of time for Q&A.

This is a free teleclass.

Membership is not required to participate.
Click here to register now!
(Please include your name, company name and contact info.)
P.S. If you have an in-depth knowledge and experience in one or two aspects of the real estate assisting industry and would like to be a guest expert for an upcoming IREAA Tele-Seminar, please let us know. You can send an email to info@ireaa.com.

OIVAC Seminar - Real Estate Virtual Assistant

I have been invited to join OIVAC for the 3rd Annual Online International Virtual Assistants Convention. Come and join me at 10:30 EST TODAY!

OIVAC Seminar Schedule

3rd Annual Online International Virtual Assistant's Convention ("OIVAC") is a virtual trade show and educational opportunity conducted 100% online through easy to use web conferencing technology. This year's theme, "Pathways to Successful VA Practices: Using Communication & Technology to Enhance Business" highlights various communication and technology resources Virtual Assistants and their clients use to enhance productivity and reduce costs.

The OIVAC also offers participants timely training, informative workshops, motivating seminars, business showcases and casual networking sessions, along with an exhibitor hall and virtual trade show booths -- all open around the clock and accessible from your desktop or laptop computer. This "live" yet virtual environment can be experienced from the comfort of your own home via any Internet connected computer. Imagine attending an industry leading event with no travel/airport hassles, hotel and other bills, fatigue or exorbitant registration fees? Most importantly - learn from industry leaders with no precious time away from your home, family or business!

When Your Reputation Is Questioned

The Internet has become a powerful tool in gathering information about anything you want to know, but it has also become a tool for people to use to try to harm a persons intregity as well. It is amazing how one person can sabotage another just based on their anothers opinion or without checking out the facts.

When reading negative things on the Internet, remember these are individuals who hide behind the Internet and feel they are above approach.

I am all for freedom of speech, but use that freedom carefully and before you use your freedom to voice an opinion make sure you have all the facts and documentation to back it up with. If not, you can put yourself in a situation where the damage can turn on you.

Gossip is a form of jealously, in my opinion, and most people thrive on the negative over the positive.

As virtual assistants all we have is our reputation and when someone tries to tarnish that reputation it is a result of one or two things, jealously or envy.

I have been a virtual assistant for over 9 years and I have seen the good and the bad and the one thing I have learned is to always be honest, which is why I have an amazing group of virtual assistants who respect me for what I have done for the virtual assistant and the real estate virtual assistant industry. Not to mention the clients I have had the pleasure of working with and continue to have their respect.

If anyone wants to question my integrity I invite them to contact me personally to discuss my work ethics, honesty or my reputation. Feel free to request my long list of wonderful recommendations. I would be happy to hear from you.

Workshop Date Set - Incredible Referral Marketing Program

I have announced that Send Out Cards is an incredible referral marketing system and I love the fact that I can send a card to ANYONE by just logging into my account www.sendoutcards.com/43114 and create a card to be mailed through the USPS in about 5 minutes or less. It is GREAT and saves me time.

But, the other side of this incredible program is I can run it for my clients to stay in touch with their contacts, friends and family. They love it!

Another cool thing about this program is it allows me to receive an income in addition to my normal income and that is pretty darn impressive!

I would like to invite anyone that is interested in creating a powerful contact campaign with their clients, stay in touch with family and friends as well as earn an additional income to join me on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:00 AM CST to learn more about this awesome program.

Drop me an email - Kim@KimHughes.com and RSVP NOW! Space is very limited, so don't delay.

Find Low Gas Prices In Your Area!

If you're trying to cut your gas expense, this site my help.

Just enter your zip code in the site below and it tells you which gas stations have the lowest and the highest gas prices in your zip code. It will even give you a map to show where they are.

Low Gas Prices

Working Smarter - Not Harder!

Everywhere we turn today we are hearing about a negative economy. Gas prices are soaring, groceries are outrageous, prescriptions - well need I say more?

If you find that your company is downsizing - AGAIN and your future is insecure then you might want to look at the virtual assistant industry. We are growing stronger everyday. Take a look at the positives of a virtual assistant.

1. Being able to stay home and raise your family the way you see fit, not someone else. Right here you are saving money by not giving to your child care provider.

2. Save money on gas and maintenance on your vechicle - I cannot tell you how much money I save each week just in this area. Today gas prices in Mineola, Texas is $3.45 per galloon. By working from home you only need to use your car for running errands, take the kids to school and for pleasure. Not to mention doing your part in saving the environment!

3. Time Management - You will save at least 2 hours a day by working from home. What can you do with 2 additional hours per day?

4. Being self-employed is SECURITY - never having to wonder if you are going to get that pink slip. You are in control of your destiny.

I could go on with all the benefits of becoming a virtual assistant, but you get the point. This industry not only provides you with a secure future, but also allows you to run your life the way you see fit.

Even if you have never had your own business, it is not hard to set up as long as you have the right attitude, skills, knowledge and desire. The key is to look for those that are successful in their virtual assistant business and then model your business with the same principals.

Are you ready to take the next step in achieving your goals? Let me know - I would love to hear from you. Kim@KimHughes.com

Send Out Cards - Let Them Know You Are Thinking Of Them!

Send Out Cards is a wonderful way to send a card to someone special for any occassion without ever having to leave your home or office.

I was always forgetting to send a birthday card, Christmas cards, special day and thank you cards until I found Send Out Cards. Now, I just take 5 minutes, log into my account pick that special card, write my message, complete the information for mailing and BOOM! DONE!

In addition to being a wonderful greeting card system, Send Out Cards can also be used to build your business. To see how Send Out Cards works as an incredible referral-generation system for both you and your clients, check out the Referral Movie link below.

Send Out Cards - Send a card TODAY!

You might be interested to know that being a Send Out Cards distributor can provide a powerful income-generating opportunity that will blend well with your VA business and personal life. By helping your clients, friends, and family also benefit from the power of Send Out Cards, you will make money. Visit www.IncredibleReferralMarketing.com to see how the card system and referral strategies work, then contact me directly for more specific information or to get started.”

Send me an email and let's schedule a time to show you how this amazing program works!

Save Time - Use Trailfire

Do you find yourself spending alot of time sorting through the searches you come up with while surfing the Internet? You normally stay within the first 2-3 pages - if that - But, you just don't want to take the time or don't have the time to continue searching so you go with what comes up on the first couple of pages.

Well, Trailfire rewires the web to your interests. It guides you as you browse, suggesting where you can find information related to any page you're on at anytime. It also lets you make your own connections on the web - to link pages that relate to a topic from your own point of view.

At its heart, Trailfire is a community of people helping each other cut through the clutter on the web. By empowering individuals to distill the web, drawing on their knowledge and adding their opinions, Trailfire creates a web of meaning.

The basic building block of Trailfire is the trail - a collection of web pages on a subject or concept, hand built and annotated by a trail creator (we call them "guides") on each page. Trails run the gamut from practical to evangelical to whimsical.

From there, Trailfire's proprietary technology mines every page in a trail to develop an understanding of the concepts on it. It uses this expertise to match each individual's interests to the other trails that are most relevant.

It has saved me time and I hope it will do the same for you!

Rate Your Customer Service

I had an interesting conversation tonight with a gentleman, probably in his late 70's. Mr. Barnes comes to all my son's baseball games. He does not come just to watch my son, but to watch all the boy's play. He is a true Mineola Yellow Jacket baseball fan. He loves to share stories of his past and bless his heart - sometimes tells us the same story, but we listen with care.

Anyway, tonight he was upset with a local merchant and as he told me the story I thought the only problem with this merchant was they do not know customer service.

One thing I offer each one of my client's is my full attention and it is my goal to ensure the client is happy - at no cost! Yes, there are times you just have to say - I have done my best! And if you can honestly say this and you still cannot make the customer happy, then you need to find an alternative solution. Because your reputation is on the line and you need to keep it clean you might offer to find another vitual assistant to work with them or send them the names and let them do the work in finding the best person to fit their needs.

This is one of the first things I cover in my coaching program and as I tell my client, customer service is not like it use to be in the past and it is something that can really set you apart from the rest, so no matter what services you offer your client it is important that you offer the best customer service possible.

One thing I am very proud of is my clients appreciate my caring attitude and tell me constantly that they appreciate my goal is to make sure they are 100% happy with my service, if not more. If they are not, I tell them to let me know and we will work together to make sure all the expectations are meet.

In today's world you do not see the vendor, merchant, etc taking those couple of minutes to say "how can I help you?" Most of the time they ignore you and feel you are a waste of time. Therefore, when building your virtual assistant business make sure you give the customer what they want, with a smile on your face and in your heart! By doing this you are making a name for yourself, because you are offering something that is not seen in the real world very much anymore.