Summer brings shorter office hours and sunny getaways, but what if you could do that all year round? There are millions of people doing just that, all without sacrificing their income. This is the power of the virtual office. Virtual offices allow digital nomads to have their home base in another country—in our case, Toronto’s downtown core.
Running your own business can be a time consuming task. You have to juggle strategy, execution, billing and client or customer service. It can all get a little overwhelming and defeats the purpose of becoming a digital nomad.
A major reason people start a virtual business is so that they can free up time to do what they want. That’s just wishful thinking when you’re handling all the details on your own. All of a sudden, you’re spending more time in front of your computer than out on the beach.
Being a new entrepreneur can also be a daunting task because you may not always have the leadership abilities you may eventually need if your business begins to scale. A virtual assistant gives you the chance to learn how to delegate and structure your work.
Virtual assistants can take a lot of tasks of your plate. We already know how much pressure you can face when running every aspect of your business alone. Delegating removes that pressure by eliminating everyday minutiae. But what can a virtual assistant actually do? They can:
And those are just to name a few. Many virtual assistants come with their own specialized skillset so finding the right one to help in a different area of business is great.
There are plenty of sites online to find high quality virtual assistants. A popular site, Upwork, is the best way forward when it comes to finding an assistant. The site even has a specific section for virtual assistants who range anywhere from about $15/hour to around $45/hour. The site also has plenty of people who work in customer service, data entry or research so if you need an assistant to fit a specific role, you’d be able to find those specifics too.
There are plenty of job boards around the internet like Indeed or LinkedIn.
Overseeing employees is hard enough to do when they’re in the room, but to have a virtual assistant who works remotely is difficult. It needs a lot more communication and a lot more organization.
It’s important to properly explain what the job entails, the hours you expect them to work and deadlines they need to keep. Outline all the tasks they will be responsible for and what they need to use to accomplish those tasks. Also give them specific times they need to be available. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for a response when something urgent comes up.
A majority of your job can actually be handled by a virtual assistant and detailed outlines. But keep in mind that this is a two-way relationship. If there’s something that your VA doesn’t understand, keep a note of it and make those adjustments as you go along. This will help save you a ton of time going forward.
Contributor: Pamela Inglis, Recruiter – Rostie & Associates.
Okay. This is a tough one. I know there are a lot of articles out there about this subject – written by people far more eloquent than I am. But, they basically all say the same thing:
DON’T DO IT!
You’re always going to find someone who will tell you that they took a count-offer, got a great big raise and things couldn’t have worked out better. Believe me, they’re the exception.
Consider things from your employer’s perspective. Here you come, offer in hand from a competitor. Do they really want you going there? I’m sure there are many reasons why they wouldn’t, regardless of how much integrity you have. Perhaps you’re a sales rep and you’ve got deals underway. Do they risk losing the deal if you’re not there to close it? Perhaps the timing isn’t good – maybe, unbeknownst to you, one of your colleagues just gave their notice. Regardless of the reasons they’re going to be in the position of having to back-fill your role – and not at their convenience.
If you do accept a counter-offer you need to be prepared for the consequences because they are not going to forget that you (probably) took time off to interview elsewhere and were seriously considering leaving their employ. Could be an opportunity for a promotion that passes you by; or no raises again – ever. Or, worst, and most likely case, they will let you go when it’s convenient for them. And that opportunity you had? Long gone.
So, consider this, if the only reason you’re considering making a move is salary, pull up your garters and have an open and honest talk with your boss. I know what you’re thinking, it may not go well. And it might not. But at least you’ll know where you stand.
You also have to consider that if they’re not willing to give you a raise, one that you truly believe you deserve, then it’s probably time to call your favourite recruiter.
November is here and the weather may be getting colder but the fun is just starting. Grab your gloves and get ready for some great events and activities in the Waterfront community like skating and the Santa Claus Parade. While we get into the spirit of the season, don’t forget to book your Christmas office parties early for a discount.
The Rostie Group would like to welcome several new tenants including Etihad Airways, ADM Group, Flight Network, Stormcrow Capital and Integrate2Cloud Apps to the Rostie Group Work Community.
Last but certainly not least, it’s Movember! For the next 30 days, grow out your best mustache and help support a great cause.
Join us @ The Rostie Group for our Oktoberfest #ThirstyThursday Social for some well deserved Highlander Brew Co. Local Craft Beer courtesy of SIP. Make sure to not miss out on this opportunity to unwind after a hard days work for fun times, social networking and some great beer.
What is SIP? SIP is a membership club for discovering bars and restaurants near you. SIP members enjoy 1 Welcome Drink per day at any of their partner venues which includes tons of Toronto hot spots.
Download the SIP app today and enter the invite code sipbar30 to enjoy a FREE 30 day trial!
In partnership with NHLPA, WaterPark Place and Oxford Proprerties are excited to bring to you the World Cup of Hockey games at WaterPark Place.
Please join us in the Atrium of the 10/20 Bay lobby to cheer on your favourite teams. They will be showing all afternoon games starting today as well as replays and highlights from evening games. See full schedule below.
Be sure to join us this week, starting today until Thursday for the 3PM games for great giveaways, compliments of NHLPA.
On Wednesday at 3PM, look for your WaterPark Place team in the lobby to buy your raffle tickets for your chance to win an authentic signed jersey from Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin! All proceeds will be donated to Jumpstart, a charity which helps kids in financial need to participate in sports and recreation activities of their choice.
Let the games begin!
World Cup of Hockey schedule
Sep 19, 3 p.m., Group Play: Europe vs. Czech Republic
Sep 19, 8 p.m., Group Play: Russia vs. North America
Sep 20, 3 p.m., Group Play: Finland vs. Sweden
Sep 20, 8 p.m., Group Play: Canada vs. USA
Sep 21, 3 p.m., Group Play: North America vs. Sweden
Sep 21, 8 p.m., Group Play: Europe vs Canada
Sep 22, 3 p.m., Group Play: Finland vs. Russia
Sep 22, 8 p.m., Group Play: USA vs. Czech Republic
Sep 24, 7 p.m., Semifinal one
Sep 25, 1 p.m., Semifinal two
Sep 27, 8 p.m., Final: Game one
Sep 29, 8 p.m., Final: Game two
Oct 1, 7 p.m., Final: Game three (if necessary)
September means it’s time to go back to school. The Rostie Group is very proud to celebrate their 15th year with Concordia University’s Goodman Institute. Thank you so much for being a part of our work community!
The scoop is out for September and there is no sign of the city slowing down after such a fun summer. Make sure to check out some of the awesome events happening on Toronto’s Waterfront.
With events such as Canada’s International Air Show, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Busker Fest and more, there will not be a dull moment this month.
The Pacific room filled with summer sunlight and those excited to understand what Paul Hellyer’s life work means for the present and future of our society.
Engaging, educational and dotted with anecdotes Paul Hellyer took us on a history lesson, different from the kind we learned in school. Conspiracies, secret governments, global bank programs created without the public knowing, and the question of who really runs the world? And what does this mean for us?
Discussion and questions ensued about some of Hellyer’s political experience and current projects. He touched on power and the financial situation of Canada and the global understanding of wealth. Pamphlets were distributed explaining the Canadian bank system and how everything changed in 1974. Check out CanadianBankReformers.ca for more information.
Hellyer happily wrote personal notes in his books for everyone to take home. Featured were three books, A Miracle in Waiting: Economics that Make Sense, Light at the End of the Tunnel, and his newest book Money Mafia: A World in Crisis.
For more information on Paul Hellyer, to purchase his books and to connect with him please visit http://www.paulhellyerweb.com.
The Rostie work community is grateful to have Paul Hellyer as an influential part of the community. Thank you Mr. Hellyer for sharing with us and thank you to everyone who came out to the Lunch ‘N’ Learn. For more photos check out The Rostie Group Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/RostieGroup/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154485180159568
Please stay in touch for more exciting events coming this Fall!
