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Work/Life Balance: Running After the Work/Money God

November 1, 2017 by donna01

Hello, How are YOU?

As I was thinking about what to write on for this month, my Lord and Saviour, Jesus told me to write on this topic. As a Christian entrepreneur, and anybody, for that reason, needs a GOOD WORK/LIFE BALANCE.

In our modern society of “Get It Done Yesterday” and “Rush Rush Rush” we need sometimes to slow down and take a much needed break!

I am in a way, Preaching to myself and the Choir and I most often have alot to do and sometimes lead a “Hurry Up and Get it Done” lifestyle. With my thriving VA Business, a husband, home, and social life, it’s sometimes hard to just “Be Still and Know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10).

People are stressed out and need a Break at times. My wise father told me to work 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute break and work on one Client’s work and then go to another Client. I sometimes listen and sometimes I don’t. When I don’t listen, I LOSE BIG TIME!

So here are 4 Work/life Balance tips to help YOU, the busy Entrepreneur that actually work for me, the other Busy Entrepreneur:

1. I know I’m going to get comments or maybe hate email, but have to say this: Take time to smell the Roses of God. If you are a Christian, read your Bible or meditate on God’s goodness in YOUR life. This helps me tremendously! If you are NOT A CHRISTIAN, THEN YOU WILL NEVER HAVE PEACE IN YOUR LIFE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING (John 16:33). To have real true Peace in any/every situation is to Trust in God/Jesus and concentrate on HIM and Not our circumstances. That is the Only Way to have real true Peace, I’m sorry but it’s the Gospel Truth and I would Never ever lie to YOU! Peace is Not the absence of conflict, but a calm rest in the midst of storms.

HOW TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE: YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS GOD AND NOT JUST A PROPHET FROM GOD AS SOME RELIGIONS BELIEVE. JESUS SAID (in the Bible – John 3:16 – that he came to save the world from sin that He loves us. He also said that we are all Sinners in need of a Saviour and He died on that cruel cross and Saved All mankind! Romansm10:9 says – “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the grave, thou shalt be saved” But You might be asking “saved from What?” Saved from going to Hell when you die and saved from God’s judgment, because We all must stand Before a Righteous and Holy God and give an account of our lives. And if YOUR name is Not written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) book of Life you will Not make it to Heaven’! (Rev. 13:8). I’m sorry to Preach but someone has to say this. Some people may Not agree with this, but look it up – what do You have to lose, but everything to Gain! I love All of YOU!

2. Work for a specific amount of time (that works for YOU), it doesn’t have to be 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute break, that works for ME) and then take a break. Go get some coffee or if you work at home like I do, go lay down for a short time, which recharges your battery and gives you time to think, CLEARLY, and then get back to work. You can use a clock or alarm or app to help.

3. Have a nice area to work, not cluttered or junky. Put plants around YOU, which have a calming affect or listen to soft music in the background. (I like Gospel, which uplifts my Soul and keeps me focused). Don’t watch TV if you work from home as God never meant for us to Multi-Task, which is technically Impossible.

4. If overwhelmed, hire a Virtual Assistant or outsource your work. Companies such as Apple and other big Companies do this all the time. You might want to hire ME, YOUR VIRTUAL GAL FRIDAY, as I have a team of VAs that I can use to help take the load off YOUR weary shoulders.

That’s it for now.

Thanks so much for reading and please feel free to leave a comment or feedback if this article has helped YOU!

God bless and remember to stay VIRTUAL and Positive!

Donna

Donna’s Secretarial Service Summer Technology Update

August 29, 2017 by donna01

Happy Summer!

As we leave a beautiful Summer and head in to the Fall, I will be teaching MS WORD in October and November of 2017 and I would love for you to JOIN ME! Sessions will be held at Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT) at Blair Christian Academy, 220 W. Upsal Street, Philadelphia, PA. To register, visit the MALT Website:

http://www.mtairylearningtree.org/catalog/Fall_2017_web.pdf

(My Class is on page 14 of Fall Catalogue!).

Below you will find my Summer Technology Update. I hope this article will be helpful for my fellow Android users!?

God Bless and Virtually Yours,

Donna

Android “O” is officially Android Oreo, which is beginning to roll out to compatible devices now. As with most major Android releases, this one brings a host of new features and improvements over its predecessor, Android Nougat. Android Oreo will be available on the following devices out of the gate: Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Nexus Player and Pixel C. Carrier testing has already started for the mobile phones on the list, with the full rollout happening “soon.” The word on the street is that devices that were running the developer preview are already getting the stable version of Oreo….. Read more on Android Oreo @ http://www.howtogeek.com/ 307875/whats-new-in-android-o

This Technology Update has been brought to you by HowToGeek.com

Tuesday, September 19th, 2017 6:30pm-7:30pm

– Calling All Female Entrepreneurs Cohort 15 Orientation LIVE! at DiY CAFE – Let a graduate of the C.A.F.E. tell you better than the founders. Up next to share her journey, Angelle E. Richardson, Ph.D., LPC, is the Founder and Director of Extended Hearts Family Therapy. RSVP for your FREE admission HERE!

Monday, September 18th, 2017 5pm-7pm – The Art of Business Communication – Hosted by Tyra S. Gardner to help business owners collaborate with other business owners. With so many different ways to communicate, why do we communicate even less? RSVP HERE!

Saturday, September 30th, 2017 3pm-7pm

– CAFE Head Shot Party 2017! at HeadRoom – Calling All Female Entrepreneurs wants to reduce the cost of business through lowering your marketing expense. Tara Colquit paid $150 for her head shot (discounted) and Nicole Newman paid $225 for hers. Lower the cost of marketing, by attending this event! Learn More and RSVP HERE!

Sunday, October 8th, 2017 2-6pm and Tuesday, October 10th 2017 2pm-6pm – What is your Vision for 2018? and Calling All Female Entrepreneurs Cohort 15.
Learn More HERE!

Thank you so much for your time! I hope my update will be useful. If you have a need for Administrative Support, Graphic Design, Typing or Social Media enhancement, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 855-366-6271 or Email Donna or Visit Donna’s Website.

We are an Award-winning Company, helping busy CEOs, Small Business Owners and individuals since 2000 with over 35+ years experience. We have been named a Top Woman and Minority Owned Business by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Donna’s Summer Technology Tips – July 2017 Newsletter

July 9, 2017 by donna01

These 7 Google Chrome hacks will change the way you use the internet!

Since it debuted in 2008, Google Chrome has quickly risen to be the most popular web browser in the world, beating out Firefox and Internet Explorer.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it better.

There are many extensions and programs that innovative developers have built to make using Chrome more productive and more fun. With them, you can save articles to read anywhere, learn a new language, save money while shopping, and even improve your writing.

And the beauty is that they don’t actually require you to put in any extra work.

These 13 extensions and apps can help you streamline your Chrome browsing and help you do things you didn’t even know were possible. Read on to become a Google Chrome expert:

Honey automatically searches for coupon codes and sales whenever you are checkig out online. Just click the Honey button and it will scour the web and apply coupon codes to your shopping cart. It’s basically just free money.

Download Honey here

Make sure you always have something to read with Pocket

Pocket is an easy way to save any article to read later — on your phone, tablet, or computer. If you come across an article — or any website — you don’t have time to read right then, hit the Pocket extension and that article will end up in your Pocket queue. You can access this from any of your devices.

Download Pocket here

Always keep an eye on your inbox with Google Mail Checker

Google Mail Checker is a no-brainer for anyone who sends and receives email on a daily basis. The extension is wonderful in its simplicity, and shows you how many unread messages are in your inbox without your having to click or tab over and check.

Download Google Mail Checker here

Block all those annoying pop-up ads with AdBlock Plus

Adblock Plus is one of the most popular and well-made ad-blocking extensions

The extension removes annoying things like banner ads and pop-ups from your web experience. That may seem like a slight difference, but visiting some sites that tend to be bogged down, especially with pop-ups, can be liberating. But if you do choose to use it, make sure to “white list” sites you feel don’t have an intrusive ad experience — especially those who make their money on advertising revenue.

AdBlock Plus also works with Safari, Opera, and Firefox if you don’t have Chrome.

Download AdBlocker Plus here

Simple Blocker is perfect for when you need to focus

Simple Blocker is great if you’re the type of person who gets easily distracted by Facebook or Twitter. This extension allows you to block access to certain domains for a given period of time (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for example). It was designed with students in mind, but is really useful for anyone with a penchant for procrastination.

Download Simple Blocker here

Chrome Remote Desktop lets you easily access your other computer

Chrome Remote Desktop gives you the magical ability to access other computers from your own and vice versa. Left a file at work? Connect via Remote Desk and grab it. It’s also an easy way to share your screen with someone else if there’s a problem.

Download Google Desktop Remote here

Thanks for reading this Blog post and I hope you are able to use some of these apps and extensions. I use them on my Computers.

If you have a need for Admin. Support, Graphic Design, Typing or Social Media enhancement, please, please contact me @ 855-366-6271 or Email Donna or visit Visit Donna’s Website.

We are an Award-winning Company, helping busy CEOs, Small Business owners and individfuals since 2000 with over 35+ years’ experience. We are also an Award-winning Company; having been named Top Woman and Minority owned Business by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

God bless and stay Prosperous!

Virtually yours,

Donna

Device Free Time Is As Important As Work-Life Balance

May 28, 2017 by donna01

Article written by

Charlotte Lieberman

Harvard Business Review

4/13/17

The idea of “work-life balance” is an invention of the mid-19^th century. The notion of cultivating awareness of one’s work versus one’s pleasure emerged when the word “leisure” caught on in Europe in the Industrial Era. Work became separate from “life” (at least for a certain class of men) and we’ve been struggling to juggle them ever since.

Today, when so much work and leisure time involve staring at screens, I see a different struggle arising: a struggle to find a healthy balance between technology and the physical world, or, for short, “tech/body balance.” A 2016 survey from Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their phones 8 billion times per day. The average for individual Americans was 46 checks per day, including during leisure time—watching TV, spending time with friends, eating dinner.

So attached are we to our devices that it’s not unusual to have your phone with you at all times. We carry our phones around everywhere as if they are epi-pens and we all have fatal allergies.

As many of you may or may not know, I am a Virtual Assistant, Graphic Designer, Typist and Social Media mogul, and technology is how I make my living, so I’m consistently checking my emails, making and receiving calls, or typing something on my Computer, even when I should be relaxing with my family. I am No different than most Americans. But I really LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I do; and I’m very Good at what I do; since I’ve been “doing” Secretarial work since 1978! I could kiss the man who invented the Computer; (wait was that Steve Jobs?) and remember when I had to work on first a manual then electric typewriter with wite-out and typewriter eraser paper! (Gosh, I guess I’m old, huh?). But I would NOT change my career for anything. As I said, I LOVE WHAT I DO I’M GOOD AT IT!

Ms. Lieberman states, “90% of us (Americans) take our phones in the bathroom with us! I have been guilty of that too, but try NOT to do that! It’s unsanitary, takey and I’m afraid like my sister-in-law did, that I will drop it in the toilet! So never, ever take your phone in the bathroom, if you can help it! Enough is enough, wouldn’t you say? The bathroom, really?! Are we afraid we are going to miss something? Like a call?

According to recent data from Nielsen, 87% of Singapore’s 5.4 million population reports owning a smartphone, while a smaller but still substantial 68% of Americans own smartphones. A hefty 89% of American workers have reported feeling chronic body pain as a result of the posture they’ve developed using these devices, and 82% of this same group also say that the presence of phones “deteriorated” their most recent conversations. Pew Global recently released a report about the correlation between smartphone use and economic growth, noting that the rates of technology-use are not only climbing steadily in advanced economies, but also in countries with emerging economies. As additional reference points, 39% of the Japanese population reports owning a smartphone, while 59% of Turkey reports relying on mobile internet use. These numbers decrease in developing countries, given the relationship that exists between a person’s educational background, socioeconomic status, and their access to technology.

But whether we are among those who use our devices to work remotely, or we are just obsessed with them because of the culture we live in regardless of how much time we are spending on “work,” it’s time to shift our attention to what tech-body balance could look like.

That’s where my Company, Donna’s Secretarial Service comes in. If you are like the 90% of us Americans, so encumbered by “devices” and “work” that we can’t even go to the bathroom without them, then it’s time to call me. Donna’s takes the load off your weary shoulders by taking care of your Administrative Support, Graphic Design, Typing and Social Media needs! We’re that good at keeping YOUR WORK-LIFE BALANCE free of using your devices for a least a little while. Call me at 1-855-366-6271 for a free 30 minute quote/evaluation of how I can help YOU! Email Donna for immediate help!

I hope you sincerely take to heart the recommendations and information mentioned? I am here to Serve my Clients and welcome the opportunity to assist you!

Virtually yours and God bless,

Donna

In Honor of Black History month 2017 – “Black Entrepreneurs Hope for the Best as Trump Presidency Begins”

February 11, 2017 by donna01

(Articles taken from NY Daily News – January 21, 2017)

The surprise was that there was no surprise.

A little before noon on Friday as Donald Trump made his way down Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington to be sworn in as President of the United States, Tony Fields rested his steel scissors at the Black Success Barbershop on Pennsylvania Ave. in Brooklyn.

Fields peered up at CNN on a flat screen TV mounted high on the back wall. The realization was immediate. This was hardly fake news.

“It didn’t surprise me that Trump won,” says Fields, as a steady stream of customers filed in during the lunch hour to be serviced by three barbers. “I thought Trump would win all along. You could smell it. He had the country conned. We had eight great years of Barack Obama who rescued the economy,saved the auto industry, bailed out the banks and Wall Street, created Obamacare, ended the wars Bush started and reduced unemployment to 4.7 %.”

Exactly eight years ago to the hour, I stood with Fields inside his barbershop that serves as a mini town hall in the East New York neighborhood that rejoiced as Obama made history being sworn in as the first black President. Exactly four years ago, I watched Obama get sworn in for a second time on the television at Black Success. I spoke to a mother of three young boys who she said now believed anything was possible in America.

The past election was different.

“I argued with my wife about it all the time,” Marcus Richardson, 53, a self-employed local businessman sitting in a chair by the window, said Friday. “She spent 15 years in the military and for some reason like a lot of women she just didn’t trust Hillary (Clinton). I’m no fan of Trump but I thought he would win… He’s ready to become President, man. What are we gonna do now? March and protest again? We’ve been marching since the 1960s. Marching hurts your feet and protest isn’t gonna stop Trump from being President now. So you gotta hope for the best.”

“After eight years of Obama business has been really good,” he said. “Barack Obama has been a role model of black success that every black kid can look up to. Now that we have a guy like Trump who was upfront with his views on race, it’s time black people around here take matters into their own hands.”

What does he mean by that?

“It didn’t surprise me that Trump won,” says Fields, as a steady stream of customers filed in during the lunch hour to be serviced by three barbers.

“We want to start a grass roots organizations called Black Success Enterprise,” says Richardson. “It’s Tony’s idea but I’m in. And so are many of the black entrepreneurs who did well around here under Obama.”

“We want to start by all chipping in some of our own money,” says Fields. “Buy an abandoned city property at auction instead of some greedy landlord looking to get rich off gentrification. Maybe a two-storefront apartment building. And use local tradesmen to teach local kids to fix it up. They learn carpentry, plumbing, heating, windows, bricklaying. Then use one storefront as an academy to teach young people that instead of selling drugs or joining gangs they can learn how to fix cell phones, repair computers and TVs and air conditioners.”

Trump’s gloomy inaugural speech did little to unify the country

“Then let them open businesses like that in the two storefronts,” says Richardson.

Donald Trump sworn in as 45th President of the United States

As the cannons roared on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington to celebrate the peaceful transition of presidential power, there was a surprisingly optimistic mood in the Black Success Barber shop on Pennsylvania Ave. in Brooklyn even as Donald Trump delivered his bleak, dark inaugural address about midnight “carnage” in America.

But not everyone was so upbeat in the Black Success shop.

“To me Donald Trump is still the same buffoon he’s been for the past 30 years,” says Craig McLary, 48, a customer who works for the New York State Department of Taxation. “I voted for Hillary. But people forgot just how bad it was when Obama took over. How far he’d brought the country back. Still, all we can do now is hope that some of these big promises Trump’s making up there on TV about new highways, high speed rail, and airports come true. You gotta hope for the best.”

Fields gazed up at President Donald Trump and shrugged.

“Listen, Trump might not be the worst thing ever,” he said, as the image of President Trump reflected like some funhouse optical illusion in the various mirrors. “America gave Obama a chance. Obama gave a lot of people around here like me a chance to do better. Let’s give Trump a chance. In four years we’ll know for sure if he’s any good. In the meantime we are going to start the Black Success Enterprise right here in East New York to give young people a chance. That’s part of Barack Obama’s legacy.”

Thank you for reading.

Please feel free to leave comments.

God bless.

Virtually yours,

Donna