The Virtual Advantage is a free bimonthly Newsletter for entrepreneurs, consultants, and small business owners who are dedicated to virtual working partnerships. Virtual means employing technology to collaborate and contribute to another's business without being present physically. We will explore what it takes to make it work and how it's done in all industries from coast to coast and around the world.

We welcome article submissions if you are an AssistU VA or a client of an AssistU VA. Please contact one of the three editors above with your article idea.

Blue Tie is a true blue, interactive web collaboration tool that will increase your efficiency and bring you closer to your clients through communication, interaction, and sharing. Research indicates that more than 60% of business phone calls end up in voicemail.* Forget having to wait for that email or voicemail to be picked up. Simply reach out and touch your client through instant messaging and file sharing.

Broadband is catching on, and the wave of technology continually pushes the envelope to meet the demanding needs of remote users -- from the single user all the way up to small and medium sized businesses. Face it, collaboration enhances productivity, and we've established its importance in Virtual Working Partnerships.

Be mindful of boxed solutions that require a bit more support and aren't as easy or convenient as their marketing purports. Consider the necessary repeated upgrades to stay current and fee based customer support, not to mention the set up costs some users may incur. In the end, these boxed solutions can cost more in time, money, and frustration. Whether you're a savvy user or technologically challenged, it's an advantage to keep it simple, and Blue Tie puts the tools right at your fingertips.

I've been a Blue Tie user since the end of 2003, and, in the interest of full disclosure, I am also one of their resellers. I believe in its value for Virtual Assistants, their clients, and indeed, for all virtual working partnerships. I refer to my Blue Tie account as my "office on the go." When I arrive at my destination, I only need a connected computer to be back at the office. While I'm on the road, the free Blue Tie Mobile application enables users with cell phones, PDAs, Smart Phones, and other mobile devices to access their email, contacts, calendar meetings and tasks.

Blue Tie's website emphasizes that there are no upfront costs, no hardware to install and no software to upgrade or administer. Blue Tie's experienced customer service department answers questions in a timely and courteous manner. They are available to take calls weeknights till 8pm (eastern time) at no additional cost to their customers.

Blue Tie offers several packages: Business Class Email, Business Class Collaboration, and A La Carte Solutions -- because you only pay for what you actually use. For $7.99 per month, I use the Business Class Collaboration package. It includes: 1GB Business class email: ad free, anti-virus, and spam protected, offers unlimited storage, custom domain name, multiple email aliases, and can be accessed from anywhere at anytime.

Additionally, on a daily basis, I use the shared calendar, contacts, and files along with secure instant messaging and task management with clients. Another important feature is the Task List that also appears in calendar. When communicating externally, instead of attaching confidential data in regular email, I make use of the secure send feature that uses military grade encryption to ensure the safe delivery of confidential data. Clients who are fiduciaries (Lawyers, Doctors, and Financial Planners) tend to appreciate that unique feature.

Blue Tie is a web application, which is much different than software on your hard drive. For the best experience, you must keep your computer clean and stay current with Microsoft's updates, especially if your browser of choice is Internet Explorer. I bring value to my clients by offering an easy to use, easily affordable, seamless, rock'em -- sock'em collaborative environment. What's yours?

For more information, go to http://www.bluetie.com or call Ryan Tolley at (800) 258-3843 x 1036. He'll be glad to answer any questions.

* Radicati Group Press Release, Enterprise IM to Reach 362 Million by 2004; June 10, 2004

Copyright 2005 - "Blue Tied" by Diana Baker may not be reproduced in any form or fashion without the express written consent of the author.

Extended Trip? Hire a VA!
by Kathy Sparks, Your Virtual Resource

A one-year VA relationship for overland travelers going from Colorado to Cape Town in a Land Rover proved to have challenges. Traveling has become "connected virtually" with our [VA's] best friends: the Internet, email, online banking and the addition of a satellite phone. Here is the story from the traveler's point of view:

"Having the help of a virtual assistant while on an extended traveling holiday was invaluable to us. Kathy Sparks, our VA, was able to help us with a variety of details that would have been very difficult from overseas, especially from locations with poor and spotty telephone service."

"We were able to forward our post mail to her address, which meant that we knew we wouldn't miss anything important. Our home was rented out while on travel, and Kathy dealt with the property management company for us. She made sure our bills such as the mortgage, storage locker, and credit cards were paid on time using an online banking service. She researched and purchased airline tickets when we couldn't reach a travel agent. She even registered our car and mailed us the stickers when our registration expired!"

"We communicated with her primarily through the Internet. Even in what seems to be the most under-developed countries, the capital city will almost always have an Internet cafe. In our yearlong trip, we never went more than two weeks without finding one. Sometimes the connection can be frustratingly slow, but we were usually at least able to read our email."

"The most useful service she provided was the maintenance of our online journal website. Our trip involved driving a car from London to Cape Town through the entire African continent. Naturally, we wanted a way to share our adventure with friends and family who were understandably concerned for our safety (and for our sanity). Many fellow travelers we met also had websites, but typically they maintained them through an on-line website maintenance system. Maintaining a site this way can be time consuming (internet cafes charge by the hour) and with a slow connection is sometimes nearly impossible. In addition, some of the maintenance programs require a specific version of the operating system or browser, which can be a problem in some places. Our website was updated every 1-2 weeks, which was the most frequent of anyone we traveled with."

"I created a Word document containing the text of our journal entries and photos (scaled down for the web) and emailed that document to Kathy, who would translate it into HTML and upload it to the site. I was able to compose the updates offline on our laptop, and then transfer them via floppy disk or USB flash disk to a PC at an Internet cafe. I could send two week's worth of updates including photos in a half-hour or less depending on the connection speed."

"Having a VA helped us tremendously. We were able to travel with peace of mind knowing that all the little details of life were being handled."

From a VA point of view, it was just like working with a client anywhere in the US with the exception of finding some international resources for mailing FedEx packages for general delivery, getting flight connections and second guessing where the travelers might be in the next week or so. It was an extremely enjoyable journey for me just being involved in the trip. You can see the web site at www.africaoverland.info Great photos!

Extended Trip? Hire a VA!
Copyright 2005 Kathy Sparks