Magic Satchel, Inc. » productivity

Printers Will Never Just Print!

Kim — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:35:02 +0000

This video will be hilarious to anyone who has ever had to print anything, ever. It just seems that printers will do everything there is to do but actually print your documents. Not without a fight, anyway.

(Warnings for violence against an innocent keyboard and rough ink cartridge removal.)

Watch Your Printer is a Brat on CollegeHumor

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For Your Magic Laptop Bag: Microsoft Optical Wireless Mouse 3000

Kim — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:09:37 +0000

My Former Flame: The Logitech Trackman

I’m kind of embarrassed to be writing this. I’m a design and productivity fetishist. Design nerds buy Apple machines and peripherals and try to use the word “Microsoft” sparingly, so truly off their radar the general consumer computing experience exists. I even use the whole Open Source set of design nerd programs because I’m clued in and Inkscape, Gimp and Open Office rock. Or I don’t want to give Adobe the better part of a grand for markedly similar functionality. Anyway.

While purchasing my new laptop, I impulse bought one of these little dudes and immediately decided to return it. But it was red, which I liked- even with it being 15-minutes in a catcher-stance next to the display waffling over red or green. But I really had my heart set on a Trackball. I love those. I got one by accident and I’m a total computer geek so it saved my wrist a lot of static. Before I cease digressing, I do recommend these if you prefer a more manly mouse or if you like wires.

The product at hand. Late one night in a trackpad-induced schlump I decided to liberate it from its clamshell prison and give it shot before sending it back to Staples. Wow- this thing is so smooth and light. It kind of almost hugs your hand, cutely, with very little commitment for your thumb and ring fingers to cling back. The two button scroll wheel layout is highly intuitive. I feel like my fingers just have to tapple over it. And having the mouse in your hand is just more integrated to your movements.

Setup is easy- just plug in the little stick (and keep your knees away from it, it confuses the mouse to get tapped on the USB stick) and it starts working. My aunt waved it away at first but ended up liking it more than the YouTube clips we were using it to locate. I have a Magic Peripherals Satchel, and when I work off-site, the charger, little wee mousie, USB stick and headset coil neatly in together so my office can be everywhere.

And just in case you were thinking it runs on palm perspiration and Cheeto-crumbs, it does require a single AA battery that I’ve read lasts a month or two. Excellent functionality, worth a look.

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Too Much Twitter?

Kim — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:09:30 +0000

This funny video (warning- mild profanity, may be NSFW), while overlooking Twitter’s better points, is pretty funny.

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Virtual Assistants: Everything but the coffee

Kim — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:12:53 +0000

And with a VA, you’ll have more time to nip out to Starbucks. This article, via the Examiner, goes through some more basics of finding and using a VA.

My favorite points from the article, quoted below, address the versatility of a Virtual Assistant versus having on-site staff.

I will admit that previously visions of Sci-Fi men and women danced through my head at such a statement only months previously. So how does it work? A virtual assistant is more than just outsourced administrative help. Many assistants offer services to include; hiring, recruiting and marketing. What this means for a sole proprietor or small business is the opportunity to outsource your entire human resource or marketing department in a cost-effective manner. This person acts as an independent contractor thus avoiding payroll costs. Additionally, most virtual assistants will let you know ahead of time how much a project will cost and work with you to stay within budget. In difficult economic times, predictable expenditures and the ability to offload non-revenue producing activities is not just necessary-it’s critical for survival.

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Taking your ops virtual: now’s the time

Kim — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:43:15 +0000

It’s a scary time right now for everyone- starter-uppers, employees, employers. But another great article on using the current economic climate as a springboard for your dream career comes via Smarterware.org- an interesting case for making the leap now.

Leaving your full-time job in the midst of a recession is either a really stupid or really smart decision. Since I just made the move myself, I’m going to make the case for smart.

If you can swing it, a recession is an ideal time to stop being an employee and start doing your own thing. Your plans to go freelance, start your own business, or take a sabbatical shouldn’t be on hold right now because of the economy. While the fear mongers might be saying you should be grateful just to have a job at all, I challenge you to expand your vision.

Now’s a fine time to take a risk because there’s just not much to lose.

via Why Now’s a Great Time to Stop Being an Employee (If You Can*) | Smarterware.

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The Essential Mobile Office

Kim — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:13:18 +0000

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 Internet via standard telephone line or mobile phone.)

Telephony account (Computer to computer/land-line service, such as Skype.)

Hi-speed Internet access (Know where the cyber cafes are, or order it for your flat.)

Your laptop’s original back-up program disks.

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Telecommuting trumps temping

Kim — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:04:31 +0000

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 with more efficient employment options.

If you haven’t sourced a good Virtual Assistant yet, now is a great time to find someone who truly can service the needs of your business.

It all makes me wonder: As the recession continues, might we see more telecommuters? These are talented, hard-working people flocking to temp agencies. It woudn’t be surprising to see many of them decide to go into business for themselves, and to set up their home offices. Many might turn themselves into freelancers, hiring themselves out for consultants for businesses that have already slashed their payrolls of full-time employees.

And when the recession ends, these workers might decide that they like the life of a work-at-home telecommuter. They might realize that going into a traditional office every weekday is a drag.

I certainly hope so. The more employers who understand the benefits of telecommuting and employees who work from home, the better.

via Chicago Telecommuting Examiner: Temp jobs on the rise. Will we see more telecommuters, too?.

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“…in bad times you have to move forward; you can’t save your way to success.”

Kim — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:58:20 +0000

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 crisis a substantial number of entrepreneurs, investors and venture capital financiers are interested in starting a company.

via Entrepreneurial Edge – As Some Businesses Dig In, the Venturesome Set Out – NYTimes.com.

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Workspace inspiration: Cool Cubicals

Kim — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:50:53 +0000

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, Brad’s cubicle was a bland affair of generic speckled-gray modular panels. He tacked black fabric over the paneling—easy to do, since the walls of most cubicles are essentially giant bulletin boards—and added two small accent lamps with bold red shades. The black fabric does enough to dampen the overhead lighting, so the lamps have a chance to really add a visual punch to the workspace. Originally supplied with only a laptop, Brad further tweaked his workspace for comfort by bringing an LCD monitor from home and adding an ergonomic keyboard.

Featured Workspace: The Noir Cubicle.

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An efficiency that’s not possible in most physical offices…

Kim — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:01:08 +0000

“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 list of various tasks she used to rely on her in-office administrative assistant to perform. She was soon able to offer her employee to someone else in the department and rely on GlobeTask for her daily workflow.

“Pretty much anything that could be done online or via e-mail, I farmed out to them,” Lee recalls. “There’s an efficiency that’s not possible in most physical offices.”

I read so many articles selling the concept of Virtual Assisting as a career path. What stuns me is that more articles don’t focus on the potential benefits for existing business owners who need a VA.

I’ve had the unpleasant experience of working for employers who couldn’t afford the staff they have, and would cut and rehire staff as funds fluctuate. The costs in retaining and retraining staff are high, and I empathize with employers who struggle to make payroll each week. Musical Office Chairs is no fun for anyone, and it kills morale.

A virtual assistant is a better option because not only are they generally more experienced, all you pay for is the work we do for you. Not benefits, not breaks, not staffing bounties. And when business is slow, we can help you pick it up or be waiting when you need us again.

via Firms using “virtual” office assistants worldwide to get the job done

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Magic Satchel, Inc. » productivity

Printers Will Never Just *Print*!

For Your Magic Laptop Bag: Microsoft Optical Wireless Mouse 3000

Too Much Twitter?

Virtual Assistants: Everything but the coffee

Taking your ops virtual: now’s the time

The Essential Mobile Office

Telecommuting trumps temping

“…in bad times you have to move forward; you can’t save your way to success.”

Workspace inspiration: Cool Cubicals

An efficiency that’s not possible in most physical offices…

Printers Will Never Just Print!