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Sometimes people ask me, "How do virtual assistants work with their clients when they are in separate locations?" Each virtual assistant and client team finds the methodology that works best for them. I chiefly use email to work with my clients, but use the phone, fax and web tools (see examples below) too.

I work best with clients who are comfortable (not necessarily an expert) using a computer. My operating system is Windows XP Professional. (If you use Macintosh, let me know and I'll refer you to some other virtual assistants.) I use a cable modem to access the computer. To be honest, I haven't had much success sharing files with clients who have AOL.

Here is the software that I use the most (but my abilities are not limited to these):

	Word		Quickbooks 2003
	Excel		Act 6.0!
	Eudora (email client)		Corel Draw Graphics Suite 11
	Outlook (calendar)		Adobe Acrobat
	Dreamweaver 4.0		TraxTime (for tracking my time)
	Paintshop Pro 7.0		WS_FTP

I use the following web-based tools to do work for my clients:

	Quickbizsites (template based website creator)
	Aweber (autoresponder and ezine distribution tool)
	Ezine Director (ezine distribution tool)
	Gotomypc (remote access tool)*
	Mywebexpc/Webex PC Now (remote access tool)*
	Card Scan (web based online address book)
	Constant Contact
	Professional Cart Solutions/1ShoppingCart.com

* These tools enable me to access my client's computer from anywhere and work on software or projects that are unique to their system.

Protecting you, protecting me

Firewall, Anti-virus, and Spyware Protection
In order to protect my system and the integrity of client's files, I have daily virus and firewall protection with McAfee. As a hardware firewall, I have a cable router linked to both the primary and spare computers. I have three anti-spyware programs.

Backing Up
My critical files are automatically backed up to an online remote location nightly. My entire system is copied (using imaging software) to an external hard drive for back-up protection.
In the event of a power outage, I have an APC UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery backup so that the computer system can be shutdown properly so that no data is lost.

Keeping my computer purring
On a weekly basis, I perform a series of activities on my computer (scan disk, defragmentation, disk clean up) to keep my computer healthy. (My ezine and blog has details on this.)