Summaries
Technical Details
- Unlimited Local and Long Distance Calling within the United States and Canada.
- Your service is absolutely free for the first year that you use it.
- You will receive a free phone number during installation.
- You will receive a free voicemail box with your new phone number.
Product Description
The Magic Jack has become the new Internet telephone phenomenon for 2008. With it’s adapter you can make unlimited local and long distance calls in the United States and Canada for free! That means you can say goodbye to the devastating telephone bills that you are use to seeing every month. But what is so different about the Magic Jack is, unlike most VoIP services, Magic Jack uses dedicated telephone networks which means that it can be more reliable than many VoIP service providers. Also it allows you to take and use your phone when you travel no matter your location.
Hardware
The Magic Jack doesn’t require any expensive hardware to get started. Your welcome package will include:
- Magic Jack Adapter
- USB Adapter
So you don’t have to worry about trying to put together technical hardware or have various cords and wires running all through your house. Additional hardware that you may have to invest in is a regular telephone or a headset, depending on your preference.
The Interface
The Magic Jack has a simple interface that is installed once you connect your Magic Jack to your computer using it’s USB cord. The interface allows you to make calls directly from your computer screen using a sleek key pad, as well as save your contacts, use the built in Caller ID, and so much more!
Also, for your convenience, this interface gives you the flexibility of being able to switch from using a regular telephone to using a headset to make and receive calls. This is a great feature for those that would like to be able to use the telephone while working on the computer.
Pros
- You can make unlimited local and long distant calls within the United States and Canada.
- You only have to pay $49 per year rather than monthly phone bills.
- You can take your Magic Jack anywhere in the world and use it when you travel.
Cons
- Your computer must be turned on to make and receive calls.
- You have to have a reliable Internet Connection to use your Magic Jack.
- Magic Jack’s customer service and technical support needs some improving.
If you would like to purchase or learn more about Magic Jack click here.
With my Virtual Assisiting company I help people start their own businesses, teach them how to maintain them properly, and I even run their offices from a virtual location. But it is so shocking to see how many business owners are so undisciplined in their ways. Being undisciplined can hurt financially as well as hurt the lifespan of your business.
I think what happens is, when people start their own businesses the get excited. They have something to call their own, they are making their own money, and they are calling the shots. Who doesn’t love being in that type of position? But a lot of people allow these feelings to make them careless. They get careless in their spending habits, they begin to lack in the amount of work they put it, and ultimately the business suffers.
The key to avoidings these pitfalls is to stay disciplined from start to finish. Be extremely careful about the money that is coming in and out of your business. Also is your work starts out strong then you want to finish it out strong. Don’t start lacking once you experience a little bit of freedome because although it took a lot to get to that point, it takes very little for it to be taken away.
Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my blog readers that have been looking for legitimate ways to make money for some time now. And she was pretty much on the verge of giving up until we actually talked yesterday. While we were conversating she says to me ” you are someone that is passionate about everything that you do. What does it take to make yourself passionate about what you do.” At first I was a little stuck about how to answer the question because it took me by surprise. But this is what I had to explain to her and would like to share with you….
To truly be passionate about the work that you do is not something that you can just make happen. It is something that is a developed from a love of something. For example, a passionate writer loves to write. They didn’t just up and decide they were going to become passionate about their writing. Their talent began to develop, they began to take their writing more serious, and they began to love what it is that they were doing. That’s true passion.
Also, a true passion is never considered work in your eyes. When you have a thorough love for something you never care about how much time your put into because it is something that you love to do. It’s much like video games for me. I am a true PS3 gamer and I will sit in front of the tv from dusk until dawn playing video games if you let me. And when I’m playing the games I have no sense of time whatsoever.
This passion that I am speaking of, everyone has but some haven’t learned to tap into it yet. And I suggest that for those of you that are looking to start your own business or finding ways to make more money online should do something that they have a passion about. Passion is one of the key elements that make you the best at what you do.
To anyone who asks, I prefer self-publishing for my own works simply because it gives me the control to do whatever I want with my writing, however I want to do it. But there are some pros and cons to consider before making your final decision to go with self-publishing.
The Pros
- You are in total control of the publishing process and how it is carried out.
- You own 100% of the rights to the works that you produce.
- You get to keep all of the proceeds that are gained from your works.
- You are get to say how your works are used or obtained.
- The timing for self-publishing is much quicker than going through the big time publishers.
- You will receive 40%-60% of the money made off of your works rather than the usual 10%.
The Cons
- You may have to work a little harder to gain exposure for your works.
- You may have to make time not only for the writing process, but also for the publishing process.
- You are saving money on upfront costs, but if you are using free print on demand services, the fees for materials will be take from each individual order.
- Some are prejudiced against self-publishing because it is believed by many that you work is not worth buying if it hasn’t been sold through a publishing company with a big name.
To be honest, the pros out weigh the cons of self-publishing, therefore, I think that it is a good decision to proceed with it. I love the freedom to be able to do what I want to with my work, and I am sure you will too.
Have you been thinking about publishing your own materials rather than going through expensive publishers? Well there is a great deal of resources out there for you. Personally, I too like to publish my own materials because it saves a great deal of money when you are starting out with a small budget. Here are some really good resources that can help you out with self-publishing your writings:
http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com
If you are looking for sites with no upfront costs, and they print on demand, here you go:
In my opinion, self publishing is definitely the way to go when you want to be in total control of your work, and save money while doing it. If you would like to know more about self-publishing, search the term “self publishing” for more posts on the topic.
Now if you are interested in writing your own articles, guides, ebooks, etc. you can do that all by yourself also. The best way to do this is to use a software suite called OpenOffice.org which is a free alternative to Microsoft Office. Now the reason that I suggest this is because the Word Processor in this suite allows you to not only type documents, but it allows you to save your documents in Microsoft Office, PDF, and HTML formats for free.
If you are anything like me you will want to use free resources so with OpenOffice.org you can get all of your desired results for your ebooks without using any money at all. If you would like some other resources for producing ebooks in PDF format for free, here you go:
For those of you that are ready to get started, I wish you all the best! If you need help getting started don’t hesitate to send me an email to t_hackett22@yahoo.com
I’m sure you have seen “Craiglist Secrets” posted all over the Internet, but they are really not secrets. They are just pieces of information that you just haven’t tapped into yet and I’m going to share them with you right now!
DO NOT post too many links in your ads. Posting too many links in your ads will have all of your potential customers thinking in terms of a scam. In their mind they are thinking “why do I have to click on some link? why can’t i just get the product directly?” This will cause a lot of your prospects to pass you by. So keep a limit on the links that you include in your posts.
DO NOT pur your links at the end of your post. It has been proven that placing your links at the beginning of your ad post will ensure better results in regards to click and the overall activity of your ad. Also it will improve your results with Google. If you isolate your links at the bottom of your ad you run the risk of Google overlooking them.
Only include necessary information in your ads. People like to get the information that they are seeking in a hurry without any hassle. Therefore, you want to keep your ads straight to the point without wasting time on the extra information. Also, if you bog your prospects down with too much information they may lose interest and that’s something you definitely want to avoid.
Include images, but not too many. Adding images to your ad post is a great attention grabber because people like to see what they are getting if they are purchasing something. But you want to be careful not to over do it. Too many pictures can also give the impression that you are trying too hard to convince them. So this can cause them to keep on going.
Avoid sounding spammy in your ads. If your ads sound like spam they will be treated as spam, whether it really is or not. Craiglist is very serious about spamming and they won’t take a chance with it. If your ad even resembles spam your ad will be flagged and you can be banned from the website.
Make your ad 100 words or more. Doing this will give you a high content to code ratio which is a principle of SEO copywriting.
If you wan’t to know more tips for using craigslist, you might want to check out my ebook “Craiglist Tips You Just Can’t Do Without” which will be published soon. I will keep you posted.
There are an unlimited number of ways that a VA can be used such as business planning, business support, creative design and so much more. Here are some of the most common ways that clients like to use Virtual Assistants:
- Assistance with professional business planning and strategizing
- Document preparation and processing with deadlines.
- Appointment setting and scheduling for clients and patients.
- Recording data and managing it with spreadsheets and databases.
- Provide customer service and support for clients.
- Manage all business correspondence for clients, associates, vendors, etc.
- Calendar management for important meetings and events.
The average rate of a VA is $25 - $65 per hour. For those that are new to how Virtual Assistants work this may look like an insane rate to pay, but it actually isn’t. When you hire a virtual assistant, you are hiring a professional that can perform the tasks of 5 regular employees or more. And what’s even better is since a VA is an independent contractor you don’t have to worry about paying for:
- Equipment or Supplies
- Payroll or Social Security Taxes
- Health, Vision, or Dental Benefits
- Personal, Vacation, or Holiday Time
- Worker’s Compensation
- Unemployment Taxes
- Uniform or Wardrobe Costs
- Transportation Costs
- Or Additional Overhead Costs
That saves you almost, if not half, of what you would pay for an in house employee. And with a VA your work is completed in half the time because you don‘t have to worry about:
- Lunch, Coffee, or Cigarette Breaks
- Employees calling off sick.
- Waiting around for work to reach your desk.
- Employees that are under qualified to get the job done right.
- Employees that are late starting shifts or want to leave early.
If you would like to see an Employee vs. Virtual Assistant comparison please visit:
http://www.starva.net/benefits.html
Now of course when you work with anyone in regards to business related services, you want the absolute best! You want someone that can do the work that you need done without you having to hold their hand and watch over them. And that’s the best part of using a VA. They are qualified to do the job you need done with no training necessary.
Now most people look for certifications when considering a VA, but that’s not always the best thing to do. Why? Just because a person doesn’t have a certification in Virtual Assisting does not mean that he/she is not qualified to do the work. Say you run across a VA that has 10 years experience in administrative support, but has no certification? Are you going to turn him/her down? If you do, that’s a bad choice.
VA’s that have many years of experience in a particular field has the hands on experience that is necessary to get the job done right. Just think, a person can have all the degrees and certifications in the word and not be good at what they do. So don’t limit yourself.
If you come across a VA lacking the certifications that you feel they should have, consider their experience, references, testimonials, etc. If you don’t you will pass up on some really good VA’s out there and you and your business will be the one’s missing out.
People that are not aware of how Virtual Assisting works often ask the same question: “How do VA’s and Clients Correspond with One Another? The answer is quiet simple…
Now days modern technology has made it so that people can communicate regardless of location. Most Virtual Assistants prefer to correspond virtually using the telephone, fax, email, instant messaging, file sharing programs, etc. These types of communication provides flexibility, saves time, and saves money as well. Although these types are the most popular ways to communicate you will find some VA’s that will communicate via mail or will even meet with clients face to face if necessary. But one thing that all VA’s have in common is that they make sure that they are doing what is more convenient for the client.
