I see this a lot, in real life and online. There’s a local hair salon with a ridiculous name. I won’t mention it for obvious reasons, but every time I pass it, I think about how silly the name is. That, and their “Grand Opening” sign was misspelled and displayed for months.
While I was skimming [...]

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I just got my new business cards from Moo this week, and I was very happy. They are all black, made of lovely partially matte paper, and alternate colorful backgrounds you might find draped in fine coated cotton across provencal-style farmhouse kitchen tables in the visual merchandising at Anthropologie. They come with sleek little deck [...]

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Via Time.com, a list of 99 pop-culture reference points since the internet became memetic. Just in case someone, somewhere is still Rick Rolling anyone.
Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You’re a Loser or Old or Something. (Warning: links may contain some off-color language, questionable humor, and [...]

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I will admit it- even as an early adopter, I was slow to “get” Twitter. My account sat dormant and silent for months, and when I came across Twitter-related news, I kind of glazed over. But fellow VAs (thankfully) kept banging on about it, and I started knocking around on the site- and it’s been [...]

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Another CNN piece on the economic crisitunity.
Professionals are realizing the prescribed path of a college degree leading to a lucrative job may no longer exist, as the volatile economy takes a toll on some of the soundest professions, such as banking and law. Almost every day Fortune 500 companies announce more layoffs, leaving remaining workers [...]

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Although the “odd jobs” thing is decidedly twenty-something, I really like how some people are using career crises to rethink what they’re doing overall. Obviously, layoffs and unemployment are never really a great thing for anyone. Hopefully, some of the affected people will come out of this with a better path overall.
Fake employees, corporate seat-fillers, [...]

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From Laptop Hobo, a list of basics to do business any time, anywhere. Just in case you were feeling your office was underequipped.

Hardware:

Laptop (preferably “ultra-portable”)
Back-up medium (external drive or disks)
Power-surge protector
Mobile/cell (tri-band) phone w/Bluetooth
Bluetooth, Wlan capabilities
External mouse or trackball
Headset (for telephony access)
Carrying case (preferably a hard-shell case)

Non-Hardware:

Dial-up access (Access the [...]

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Interesting thing about mentor-types, in my experience. They are more than willing to share knowledge and experience merely because it moves them. While the position of consultant is necessary and worthy, the experienced entrepreneur who enlightens the young upstart is an amazing resource. I’ve learned things through various means, but no lessons were as practical, [...]

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I’m still amazed corporations aren’t luring top talent like this in droves- staffing firms can serve a purpose, but focused virtual workers and virtual assistants are infinitely more economical for big and small companies in this economic flux period. And, as the writer below keenly observes, perhaps when the dust settles we’ll all be left [...]

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I came across this nifty browser based tool via a CNET review and was instantly intrigued. I wholly adore Inkscape, but when you’re not at your own computer (or, as mentioned, if you use a Netbook) Raven is a handy alternative to bang out some quick graphics. I’m really looking forward to trying it, and [...]

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Most of the article centers on pharmaceuticals, science and such, but the idea itself is interesting and a great outlook in this economy. For better or worse, forward thinking employers and employees seem to be thinking this is a real bend-or-break time for everyone.
It may seem counterintuitive that in the midst of this global economic [...]

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Spending days on the cubefarm getting you down? Via Lifehacker, this stunning cubical (yes, cubical) is much less soul-sucking than any I’ve seen. Cute lamps and darker walls create a soothing, un-Office Space like environment, and a small selection of nice personal pics replaces the usual mishmash of random photos.
Like most cubicles across the land, [...]

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“I had an admin assistant that wasn’t doing a very good job and wasn’t working fast enough,” Lee recalls. “To take on other projects, I needed to find other resources.”
So she started e-mailing out work for the GlobeTask team to do – PowerPoint presentations, online research requests, weekly reports on Web traffic, and a laundry [...]

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Ever since I first laid eyes on a white Asus netbook earlier this year, I fell in love with the concept of using a smaller laptop in exchange for fuss-free travel.

Me too. While my beloved white iBook is fantastic when it works, it breaks when you look at it funny and feels like a [...]

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Via Lifehacker, this handy post on making the most of your indie business expenses lists several tax tips to boost your yearly net. Don’t forget to write off your Virtual Assistant! (Via Lifehacker.)
Virtual assistants and other freelancers
You’ll want an invoice from whoever you work with, as well as a record of when you paid the [...]

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