Being in a pinch made me realize the importance of correct financial desicions

Life is full of twists and in the mundane daily routine of a working class girl, there has to be respite from the endless exhaustive activity of trying to land a job. Frivolous purchases are now a thing of the past since I am currently in the process of saving money from lessons well learned.

Gone are the days of easy pickings and in today’s competitiess, business partner, business solutions, call center, family, offshoring, outsorcing, philippines, virtual assistants, voicevilleve marketplace; there is a ton of uncertainty in what the future holds. I have been lucky enough to get a few part time jobs that I hope will keep my afloat. I am fairly independent with my finances and although I appreciate financial help from a partner, I tend to keep myself fairly sufficient.

One such place I have worked as a temp was this medical transcription and hospital data center. I do most of the carting regarding the files to be scanned and uploaded for the next batch. Since they periodically have huge workloads, they need the temps for occasional work. I have had the pleasure of working with some really intelligent people. You do get surprised given the fact that these jobs are not exactly high end. Even so there is a certain calm feeling I get as we haul the crates of documents to the scanning room. Nothing beats late night shifts and I find them sublime to this day. Well anyway, the hospital was outsourcing their encoders and data entry staff. I guess it was to save on costs, but once we finished with the sorting. They were ready to be scanned by the next shift on the next day.

I have taken to socializing with a certain friend that I temp with. I think we have a lot in common and share similar interests and life experiences. Sipping a mocha latte outside the local Starbucks while discussing political issues is pretty refreshing compared to the usual lowbrow topics I encounter namely “who is dating who?”

Well at least having to talk about improving your situation financially will be beneficial in the long run. Being a part of the pointless banter crowd for so long has left me vapid and I am relieved to be back to reality.

Google Apps for Business.

Are you just starting and in need of basic office tools? Look no further. Google Apps provides robust package to get your business up and running swiftly. It has email, calendar, office applications and web-messaging service so you and your employees can get down to business and seal that important deal quickly.

The good thing about Google Apps is portability. With your favorite browser, you can create or access office files such as documents and spreadsheets using Google Docs -- anytime anywhere. Google Calendar is another important tool which does not only allow you to plan ahead, but lets you remember an important event or meeting via SMS to your mobile phone.

Google Apps isn’t only for start-ups. Many businesses have come to see the benefits of cloud computing in Google Apps for company-wide or even client collaboration. With Apps, the document or spreadsheet always stays current, and your team and clients are rest assured that important modifications were entered in the right version. Thus, Google doesn’t only let you work faster but also smarter.

Google Apps is unbeatable in cost-savings. It requires no special hardware or software and requires minimal administration, giving businesses huge savings in terms of time and IT expenditures. Research also shows that “Google Apps is as little as 1/3 the total cost of competing solutions.”*
Downtime and data loss can be very costly not only in dollars but also your company’s productivity. Google Apps gives you the confidence that you are always up and running 99.9%** all the time and the peace of mind that your data are secured and kept by world’s trusted Google datacenter.
Best of it all, with Google Apps, it means you never have to upgrade all the time. Plus, as leader in cloud computing, Google never fails to give you something new every single day of your business.

Learn about Philippines Business Process Outsourcing .

Voiceville Communications, Inc.
Philippine Call Center
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* http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/details.html
** Available in Google Apps Premier Edition

Dealing with Difficult People

Dealing with different types of people is pretty much what I do on a daily basis. People have different faces, different culture, different background, different principles, different values, different sources of income, and others. These tell us that we have to learn to be flexible not only because it is our obligation to do so but because we want to learn more about them. Somehow, it’s with very difficult people that I tend to become hesitant. It sometimes is so hard to open up and be comfortable with them when they’re too far from reach.

I think I have had enough of these people. In the family, I deal with a person who refuses to see that there are people surrounding him and that he actually lives with them. With friends, there is someone who denies that she has been making the wrong decisions and any advice won’t help her get through her life. At work, I dealt with incompetent workmates who simply come to work for the pay and not for the experience. I thought mainly of these factors while I was reflecting and seeing how I can overcome this weakness. It’s not that I don’t respect their stand but in business, in order for me to know how I can address issues, I have to know their needs and with their walls, I would always be hindered to move.

It’s with difficult people that I am most vulnerable to, maybe because no matter how hard I try to ignore my opinion on professional matters, personal issues don’t fail to join the picture. It’s something that I need to work on. Despite my previous experience I still think that I am not as productive as I should be. Perhaps I need to start thinking about a different job but I’m not taking that seriously right now. I want to simply express my thoughts as it has been tough lately. Without my virtual assistant, I don’t think I can survive another day. However, I’m still hoping that in time I can deal with them without fretting.

Trusting Your Instincts

Trusting our instincts can mean many different things. The reason why our instincts are so important is because they are often true. When doing business, we can always apply this but it does not have to go very far. Our instincts are what make us human and if we engage ourselves in business transactions, it is just normal to refer to them and not to business theories at all times. The things that we learn in life are somewhat the general things that apply in any situation which is why trusting our own instincts is not a bad idea at all especially in the world of business.

Instincts carry with it a personal touch. What are the instances that often require us to trust our instincts? It could be making decisions such as who to hire, what to purchase, and who to partner with, among other things. The last example requires more instinct than we can possibly imagine; although, instincts are not enough on its own. For us to achieve our desired end results we have to make sure that we support it and when our instincts tell us that we are on the right track, we usually do not need as much support contrary to how other people think.

Choosing a business partner is closely similar to choosing the right outfit. It could be funny at first but when you really think about it, it all makes sense. You see, our outfit reflects who we are. The color, the matching, the method of wearing, and others, all make a statement about our personality and choosing an ideal business partner is a very similar process. When it is time to choose who to partner up with, we make should be able to make sure that our business partner reflects who we are. It should value the same vision and it should carry with it the same principles. It can be a tough part on us considering all the factors that we have to put into consideration but nevertheless, we can ease the process by trusting our instincts. How? Know your prospect partner just like looking at an outfit before wearing it. Ask yourself questions such as, does this company look forward to growing with my company?

Celebrating with E-Coupons

When it comes to eating out I always look for ways to make it special. Speaking of which, I have yet to find a way to gather my very big family for an important occasion in my life. It turns out that I received an award as an outstanding entrepreneur for the organization I belong to.

Now, I have tons of planning to do and a great party to experience. Lately I have been dying to consult some event organizers I know and just when I thought I had the perfect idea already, my nephew whom my sister brought along told me that he was as excited as I am. Seeing the look on that kid I really can’t afford to disappoint him but tadah! When the billing came I was overwhelmed.

My belief have always been centered towards being thankful for the blessings showered upon me but sometimes, this belief can be expensive. So instead of making it into a huge celebration, I decided to step up and do it the practical way.

As far as business is concerned, I strongly believe that there is a solution to everything because if there were none, we’d all be miserable. Seeing the big picture, I used my knowledge about efficient strategies which are often easy on the pocket. Though strange and unexpected, I asked a friend of mine who owns a restaurant to take a shot at CarryOut Directory’s banner feature, Koopons!©. As opposed to what many people think, coupons are one of the great money-saving ways on earth. With my plan, I can save a lot of money plus I’d be a good help spreading the news. Apparently, I will to have to wait till the decision has been made. Fortunately my friend agreed to it assuming it was his gift. Well, there is no rush because clearly, anything to save will be worth the wait.

Waking Up With Myself

Whenever I wake up, I make sure to look in the mirror and ask myself the question “how can I possibly wake up without a smile on my face?” Well, I never really got the chance to answer that question until today. Because today myself finally answered the one question I have been dreading everyday. So why I don’t feel happy waking up in the morning with myself? That’s because I am alone. Even with people surrounding me at work, friends over coffee, or an occasional greeting from a family member, I feel alone. And yes I am alone in this world. Nobody is REALLY THERE.

I remember at one point in my life I had everything and possibly a sense of contentment where happiness is not an issue. I left all that to pursue something I have never encountered before. I traveled a road so unknown; I got hurt a million times along the way. It is so hard trying to put the pieces back together when I know I have come a long way from home. Now that I want to go back it seems so difficult now. I regret this one decision because I thought I would be happy. I thought this was the one thing that was missing in my life. But in the end it turned out to be my biggest mistake. If my mother was here, she’d say the same things she told me a few years back. I should have listened to her. Despite her being this perfectionist, she was able to keep me away from the real world. She kept me somewhere safe where nothing can go near and even when I know she was selfish to keep me all to herself, at least I know that she just wanted what she thinks is best for me.

Now, I am desperately alone; struggling to find my way back but not getting any closer. On the contrary, there are things that I am still grateful for in my present life. I got the independence but then I wanted it so badly I wasn’t prepared for it. With independence comes the reality of fighting my own battles. This I see everyday when I wake up with myself and only me.

Thanking Saint Patrick

My aunt, who is in Europe called me two days ago and informed me of their plans for St. Patrick’s Day,. She made mention of events that they are looking forward on the 17th and I’m pretty sure they are going to enjoy it. Our clan is very much known for our deep dedication to our religion and along with that is our enthusiasm to commemorate special occasions such as the feast of Saint Patrick; which is why I clearly understand why my aunt bothered to make a phone call only to inform me of her affairs and if I was interested to fly in and join them. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work to do here and I can’t leave it knowing that it might disrupt business activities. I’m needed here and I must stay. Hopefully, next year I can spend time with friends and family because I already had the opportunity of witnessing this event for many years since I was young.

I find religious practices very enlightening and it plays a vital role in one’s personal development. Having faith in almost what I do is the least I can do to survive different trials in my life and I am just thankful that I am blessed. This coming Saint Patrick’s Day, I will be spending a moment of silence to be thankful for all the blessings, for the presence of family and friends, for the wonderful life I have been provided of, and for the struggles that kept me strong all these years.

But for now, I have to work. For now I have to attend to my responsibilities. For now I will face my life like always because I cannot miss a day like Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s one of the days when I am able to remember the traces of my footsteps. By knowing where I started and where it has put me today is a gesture of gratefulness.