Judy Vorfeld's
Office Support Services

I am a member of Remote Professionals, a dynamic group that helps others learn how to be the best they can be in the field of online support. The RemoteProfessionals.com Mini-Conference for outsourcing professionals and virtual assistants is now open for registration and the public is invited to attend.

The Mini-Conference is a two-track, three class per track, virtual seminar. The first track will be tailored for those new to the industry or those who wish to brush up on (or change their approach to) basic skills. The second track will be for those who have been in the business for several years who wish to expand their reach or deepen their niche.

Do consider attending this excellent event. It will be hosted through Yugma - http://www.yugma.com. It allows presenters to use the phone line, desktop sharing and/or the chat feature at their discretion.

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Have you ever considered becoming a Virtual Assistant? I did so in 1992, and have never looked back.

That said, starting and maintaining a healthy small business is convoluted, to say the least. But it is more than possible, especially with today's technology and the promise of better to come.

I belong to an organization called Remote Professionals, and want to encourage you to check out an article by Angela Parker on how to begin a VA business. She not only gives her own recommendations, but she interviewed those of us who are members.

Katie Baird, when asked who should begin this type of business, says, "I guess the first thing I'd ask is: 'How comfortable would you be with completely remodeling and building a house on your own? If you are able to juggle all those details, you would probably be a good candidate for this career path.'"

This isn't an article for the faint-hearted, but it is definitely for those willing to pay attention to some sound advice.

It's a good mix of information. If you know anyone considering starting an online support services business. by all means send them to this URL.

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can you tell a fake Web site from a real one? Do you always know which e-mails are legitimate? Take the McAfee SiteAdvisor phishing quiz and get your safety grade!

I did pretty well, but not good enough. Here's a tip: when you're assessing the sites, be on the lookout for spelling, punctuation, and grammar usage errors.

And while you're at it, take a few minutes to read my Chain Letter Challenge article. I wrote it because I was sometimes sending letters on, and research proved that this is not usually a good thing.

One more thing to look out for: many spammers are now sending out PDF files that include a virus Yes, they can contain viruses.However, you have to own and have installed a version of Adobe Acrobat itself. It does not affect Adobe Reader. If you own Adobe Acrobat software, be sure you know the sender of each PDF, and even then, be careful.

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just Judy

Have you noticed how easy it is to stereotype people? We see them everywhere, at every level of most cultures. Far too many people may be most comfortable when they can put others in neat packages. But life isn’t just about comfort: it’s about growing in strength of character, exploring and learning new ideas and skills, and learning how to function as part of at least one community.

After a varied, colorful life, I began working for myself when I was in my fifties, during the massive layoffs that took place in the 1987-1990 window. I followed with a couple of brief jobs, but yearned to go in a new direction. I wanted to write and learn to use a computer. At my last long-term job, the computer setup had been on a par with using rotary telephones…or the ones where you picked up the receiver and heard, “Number please.”

Continue reading "Stereotyping: Love It or Hate It?" »

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sweet! I read a wonderful review by Erik Larkin on disposable email addresses, and, since I knew of one more dandy way to avoid being spammed as much, wrote to the editors.

Why? Simply because it's a program created by Will Bontrager, and anything software he creates is as good as it can get. He never stops trying to improve his work. He actively seeks out the opinions of users so he can pinpoint needs and fill them. Customer service is his middle name. Well...almost!

Also, he is always available for technical support. Free. And the Bontragers recently brought Jackie McCutcheon on board as a tech support specialist. I've hired Jackie to help me with more programming jobs than I can count. For years. She has never let me down. She makes me look good.

Good team. They deserve great publicity; they're in it for the long run.

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Want to generate a short report of information about the web page header lines of the server where a domain is being hosted? You may discover things you never knew.

Will Bontrager says that for people who use Mac, Linux, or other non-Windows operating systems, or who prefer not to install WebBug, the Server Snooper can provide the headers. At warp speed, you can discover what's in the hidden information that a server sends to a browser.

Continue reading "Server Snooper" »

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Acronis True Image. Amazing software.

I bought a beautiful new computer in July, and by October, it began acting strangely. I ran some tests and they indicated my hard drive was bad. However it kept working, except for the strange way it started up.

Continue reading "Amazing Software: Acronis True Image" »

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My computer, which began its life as a very nice clone in 2002, has been giving me problems for about a year.

Continue reading "Why did I wait so long?" »

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Need to have your website automatically print the year? How about all your Web design clients? Will Bontrager created three easy scripts to make the annual year's copyright dates easy. And they're free.

Continue reading "Automate your website copyright dates" »

Posted by Judy Vorfeld at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)