From the desk of The Organized Diva

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted something, life and work is busy….always a good thing!

Anyway, with summer now at our doorstep it seems there is a sense of renewal and inspiration in the air. The benefit of such feelings is that most times, we are invigorated to organize ourselves knowing that those dreary winter months will be back again! Here are a few tips to get you organizing your home this summer:

• Clear out all kitchen cupboards and pantries. Throw out any old/expired food. Put aside plates/serving pieces that you no longer like to sell in a garage sale or donate.

• If you are not in the practice of changing over your closet for the seasons, now is the time to start! Clear out all your winter wear and replace your closet with your summer clothes. Put your winter gear in a dresser or a spare closet if you have the space. This is also a good time to remove any clothing from your repertoire that you no longer like or don’t fit.

• Give the house a “super” clean. Vacuum/wash blinds and curtains. Steam clean the carpets, wash cupboards inside and out and wash windows.

• Tidy and spruce up the garden. Just a little bit of landscaping with brighten the look of your home. Plant some flowers and pull any unsightly weeds.

• Make a list of the projects that are best left for the fall, like painting. This way you have an idea of the projects you would like to tackle.

Enjoy the summer – it’s too short as it is, so relax and rejuvenate!

I have had the pleasure of being able to contribute to a wonderful new group geared to building relationships for those running Virtual Assistant businesses.  I’m very pleased to announce, along with founder Janet Barclay, the introduction of the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group.  Along with the launch of the group, the ghva.ca website has also been launched.  For interest, I have posted our latest press release on the launch of GHVA!

NEW  ASSOCIATION FORMED TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE

HAMILTON, ON –  After several meetings with her local colleagues during the past year, Janet Barclay saw the need to form an association for Virtual Assistants in the Golden Horseshoe area. She recognized that Virtual Assistants who attended could better serve their clients from ideas shared at the meetings. Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group was formed and a web site launched. www.ghva.ca.  

The GHVA Group cross-promotes their skills and expertise to potential clients, and clients benefit by ensuring the right fit for their needs. Building relationships through the networking events can lead to referrals and sub-contracting opportunities for member VAs.

“We offer a solution that will make being a business owner the rewarding experience it should be, resulting in more freedom and less stress,” says GHVA member Erika Martlew.

On May 16 of this year, Virtual Assistants (VAs) throughout the world will celebrate International Virtual Assistants Day.

Since Virtual Assistants work remotely from anywhere in the world, they don’t often get a chance to meet face-to-face. In Toronto, a weekend long conference has been organized for VAs all over North America to network, attend workshops and share knowledge and experiences, as well as make friendships. The event runs from Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4 at the Delta Toronto East Hotel.

Business owners are beginning to realize the advantages of retaining the services of a Virtual Assistant. The Virtual Assistant industry has been growing rapidly over the past ten years as companies begin to understand the benefits of retaining a VA. Each VA is an independent business owner offering his or her own unique skills and talents, but one thing they all have in common is caring for the clients they work with. Ideally, a VA develops a long term partnership-type relationship with their clients, becoming familiar with the client’s business and understanding their challenges and overall goals.

Previously, companies would need to hire part-time staff or temporary workers to fill short term needs. This would require the necessity of providing work space, equipment, and training. Through the versatility of a professional Virtual Assistant, who works from their own office environment, savings can be realized as the client does not cover any of these costs and only pays for the time to complete the project or task performed by the VA.  Business owners are taking a second look at this new outsourcing alternative which has recently been mentioned in:

National Post
The Wall Street Journal
CNN
Reader’s Digest May 2007 issue
NBC Today Show
Time
Dr. Phil Show
Plus numerous regional magazines and newspapers

“In today’s business environment, the pace of keeping up with information and trends, while maintaining an edge in the marketplace, requires new ideas.  Hiring a Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistant may just be that idea.”

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For more information and to see a listing of services offered, please visit www.ghva.ca or email janet@organizedassistant.com.

This morning I had the pleasure of attending the Toronto Mompreneur Spring Tradeshow.

Have been the first time I attended this event, I was pleasantly surprised by its relaxed and laid back atmosphere.  Held in the trendy Distillery District, it was a beautiful, sunny, crisp morning to walk the historic streets of the district. 

The show itself was smaller than the tradeshows I normally attend, but it wasn’t without inspiration.  Having attended alone, it was nice to walk in and see spouses and children of “mompreneurs” lingering with a cup of coffee and taking in the exhibitors.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a number of wonderfully, creative moms running home based businesses.  It was nice to speak to other business owners and be frank that I put my lipstick on in the car because I was rushed from four hours of sleep and my little guy was crying as I walked out the door!

I also had the honorable pleasure of meeting Erica Ehm.  For everyone in their late 20’s, early 30’s knows that Erica was a popular icon on Much Music.  Feeling like a little kid, it was wonderful to speak to someone so passionate about what they do. 

I would also like to mention that some of ladies I spoke to at Creative Memories, MOMpowered, Sweetpea Baby Food and Yoga Interlude were also a wonderful group to speak with.

Having had a wonderful time, I look forward to next years’ tradeshow!

Good job ladies!!

Well it’s taken some time, but we’re finally blogging!

For those who have never heard of The Organized Diva, well you’re going to love us; to say the least!  The Organized Diva is owned and operated by Angela Del Corpo.  We specialize in outsourced administrative support (some like to call it Virtual Assistance) for entrepreneurs and small businesses.  We offer a wide range of services, including general administrative support, desktop publishing, organizing and time management coaching as well as human resources support.

We are also pleased to offer a range of services to our residential clients.  Services include home/home office organization, time management coaching and employment readiness assistance.

We’ve decided to start blogging, not just to get our word out, but to hear yours.  We would love to hear from you – questions, concerns, thoughts, whatever is on your mind about staying organized for business or personally.

We are really looking forward to chatting!