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FANCY HANDS BLOGVirtual Assistants aren’t just for personal tasks. Learn how to use virtual assistants from as service like Fancy Hands or Ask Sunday to transform your business.
Follow this guide to learn the best way to use a virtual assistant at your small business.
Check out this great resource on Using a Virtual Assistant for a Small Business
Fall is in the air and it is almost time to hit the pumpkin patch. Picking the perfect pumpkin to bring home and carve can be hard but check out these tips our Fancy Hands Personal Assistants found for you!
The Tap It Method: The first thing you should do when you find a pumpkin you like is to tap it. When you tap the pumpkin you should hear a hollow sound.
Same color: Try and find one that is the same color all around. Discoloration can mean it is not great for carving.
Check for spots: Try to find a pumpkin that does not have any bruising, scratches, or dark spots.
Apply some pressure to it: Press your thumb into the bottom of the pumpkin slightly. If the pumpkin isn’t completely sturdy that will mean that it isn’t as fresh and can rot quickly.
Firm stem: You should aim to pick a pumpkin with a firm stem. Aim for ones that have a hard dark green or black stem (green is best). If the stem breaks when you try to pick it up you should put it down and find another pumpkin.
The perfect shape: You should choose a round or oval pumpkin with a flat bottom. These are easier to carve.
Don’t pick your pumpkin up from the stem: Once you have picked your pumpkin you should always carry it from the bottom and avoid carrying by the stem. If the stem breaks it will decay and rot faster.
Here are some quick tips on how to make your carved pumpkin last longer:
Clean it before carving. Clean the surface and the interior with a spray bottle of bleach solution (one teaspoon of bleach per one quart of water). Make sure to let it dry before carving.
Once carved give it a bleach bath. You should submerge your pumpkin in a bucket filled with water and around 2/3 cup of bleach for around 24 hours.
Add some extra protection around the carved edges. You can add petroleum jelly, vegetable oil, or WD40 onto the carved edges to keep it from drying out. Please note if you do this method these items are flammable so you should opt for a flameless candle with this method.
Hydrate it daily. Pumpkins tend to shrivel up when they run out of moisture so you should spray it a little each day with the bleach solution you made in the first step.
Put it in your fridge overnight. If you live in a warmer climate you should put your pumpkin in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator overnight to help avoid rot. You can also give it an ice bath overnight instead.
Aim for flameless candles. The heat from a candle can actually start to cook the pumpkin so you should aim for flameless candles or even a glow stick.
If the weather calls for weather that will be under 50 degrees you should bring it inside to avoid it freezing
We hope these tips help you have the best-carved pumpkin ever. From all of us here at Fancy Hands we wish you a Happy Fall!
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As the summer is dwindling down it is time to send your kid off to college. This can truly be an overwhelming time but our Fancy Hands Personal Assistants can help you complete everything on your to-do list. Let’s start by going over a checklist for you so that you are prepared.
Alarm Clock - Make sure to set them up for success by making sure they can get up in the morning. You can even get an alarm clock where you can record your own voice so that you can always be there with them.
Bedding - It is a great idea to make sure to have 2 sets of bedding because let’s face it… they will likely not keep up with laundry.
Appliances - If the dorm room doesn’t already come with appliances you should make sure to get whatever is allowed in the room (microwave, toaster, refrigerator, coffee pot, etc.)
Kitchenware - Make sure to get plates, cups, silverware, can opener, etc.
Bathroom Essentials - Make sure to get towels, robes, a shower tote (since they will likely have to carry items to and from showers), and a pair of flip-flops they can wear in the shower
Hamper - They will need someplace to store all those stinky clothes
Computer and Desk - Nowadays most courses require some kind of computer work. Whether it is a desktop or a laptop it is essential to their college success.
Storage - Since each dorm room differs you may need to get items such as storage bins, a dresser, hangers, closet organizers, etc.
Back to School Supplies - School prep is not completed until all the basic essentials are purchased. Make sure to set them up for success with a backpack or laptop bag, pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.
Decor - Make them feel at home with some things that will remind them of being back at home. This can range from posters, to picture frames, to any keepsakes that will help them from feeling homesick.
Extras
Batteries
Flashlight
First Aid Kit
Umbrella
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Shampoo and Conditioner
Razors and Shaving Cream
Soap
Phone and Computer Chargers
Cleaning Supplies
Ice Trays
Trash Bags
Ziploc Bags
Tupperware
You have spent their entire life preparing them to be on their own. They will be fine and so will you. We can also help every step of the way to make sure you both succeed. Let our Fancy Hands Personal Assistants help you complete this checklist and earn your degree in parenting!
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Let’s face it! Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful things you ever do in your life but it doesn’t have to be. Hiring a Fancy Hands Personal Assistant to help you plan is just as good as hiring a wedding planner. We can help you every step of the way. Let’s start by going over a wedding checklist!
Determine your Budget
One of the first things you should do is figure out how much money you have to spend in total and in each area of your wedding. We suggest creating a detailed spreadsheet so you can keep track of your budget.
Create your Guest List
Since you have already set your budget you can now determine a headcount. Unfortunately, we cannot always invite everyone and creating a guest list can be super stressful. It is best to sit down with your partner and start with the most important people and then figure out how many additional people you can invite to fit comfortably within your budget.
Choose a Date
Picking a date can be determined by where you want to get married and what is available.
Select your Venue
Selecting a venue will set the entire mood for your wedding. Once you have an idea of the guest list you will know what size venue you need to search for. This is probably going to be the most expensive thing in your wedding decisions so make sure to budget appropriately. You should try and view several venues and create a pros and cons list for each place.
Choose a Date
Picking a date can be determined by where you want to get married and what is available. If possible, choose a date that is meaningful to you and your partner.
Choose a Caterer
Now that you chose your venue it is time to think about food. This part can be very exciting because you get to sample lots of yummy foods. This may be the largest "dinner party" you ever host but don't stress the small stuff. Pick what foods you love and your partner love as this is a day about your love.
Choose your Wedding Party
Congratulations! Your wedding is coming together and now it is time to choose a wedding party. Choosing your party can be very stressful as you don’t want to hurt anyone's feelings but remember this day is about you. Pick the people that mean the most to you.
Send out your Invitations
The faster you get your invites out the better. This will let you know how many people are coming and what to expect.
Say Yes to the Dress/Suit
It is time to pick out all of the wedding attire from the dress to the suit and the wedding party outfits. Don’t do this alone and invite your wedding party to help you with the decision making. They can be a great support and make this a fun and non-stressful event.
Find your Vendors
It’s time to book your vendors. You should figure out if you would like a band, DJ, or a live band at your wedding. You should also find a cake decorator, florist, limo service, photographer, etc.
Arrange for Accommodations for out of Town Guests
You may find yourself having a lot of guests coming from out of town and they need someplace to stay. Talk with local hotels to see if they can provide discounts for your wedding attendees.
Create your Gift Registry
Choosing where to have your gift registry can be an extremely fun task. You can choose what you need and don’t feel guilty about it. This can help grow your future with your partner.
Order Wedding Favors
Don’t forget to order your wedding favors. You can do this quickly and easily by choosing items online or going to a party/bridal store.
Do a Makeup and Hair Trial
You have been working hard and now it is time to get pampered. Schedule yourself a makeup and hair trial to see what you like best. While you are at it book yourself a massage because you deserve it.
Pick out your Wedding Rings
Spend the day with your soon to be spouse and pick out your wedding rings.
Finalize Honeymoon
It is time to finalize all your honeymoon plans. Make sure you have everything packed and in order.
Book your Rehearsal Dinner
It’s getting close and it’s time to book your rehearsal dinner. This is the time to sit back and get excited. You are almost to your big day!
Last-Minute Checklist
Get your marriage license and complete name-change documents
Finish wedding vows
Finish seating chart
Assign a member of your wedding party to pack your gifts/belongings after the reception (don't forget the top tier of your cake)
Relax with a nice mani-pedi
Sit back and relax with your loved one at the rehearsal dinner
Get some rest
Remember, this day is about you and yes, it can be very stressful but hiring a virtual assistant can help relieve that stress. Let us help you complete your to-do list and make this day memorable for the rest of your life.
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It’s that time of year again...Spring! And with the change of seasons and warmer temperatures, there are things you haven’t had to worry about since last year. Need help getting the following items checked off of your list, and want to save money while doing it? Let our Fancy Hands Assistants help. Click here to find out how.
Clean the refrigerator and air conditioner coils
Get your HVAC system checked
Clean your gutters
Have a roof inspection
Check around the outside of your house for water or other damage (foundation and chimney included)
Clean your dryer vent
Plant a tree to help with cooling costs
Recaulk your doors and windows
Fix leaky faucets
Check your attic and basement for moisture or pest issues
Clean the outside of your windows
Clean your curtains and/or blinds
Do a thorough dusting of tops of cabinets, ceiling fans, and otherwise neglected areas
Inspect your deck and get it power washed
Clean your lawn furniture
Perform landscaping and lawn maintenance
Clean your grill
Check your driveway for necessary repairs
Get your carpets cleaned
Repair or replace damaged screens
Change the direction of your ceiling fans
Freshen up the outside of your house by painting the front door or updating the house numbers or outside fixtures
Make an appointment with a pest control company for the prevention of pests (vermin, insects, termites, etc)
Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Have your hot water tank serviced and cleaned
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Let Fancy Hands take care of you!
It's a special time of year to show your loved ones how much you appreciate them. Let us show how much we appreciate you by letting Fancy Hands make your Valentine's Day planning a cinch.
DIY: DIY homemade gifts are always a great way of showing someone how much you care. We'll help you find awesome DIY project ideas that'll blow Michael's away.
DANCE WITH SOMEBODY: We'll help you plan a special Date Night. Whether it's dancing under the stars, a spa day or even a stay-cation at a nice BnB, Fancy Hands has you covered.
THE KEY TO YOUR HEART: Reservations for 2? You've got that right! We can make dinner reservations at your favorite restaurant or at a new place in town. Let us know the place & time and we'll get you set up for an unforgettable dinner.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: We'll help you find the best chocolates, fresh flower bouquets, tasty fruit bouquets...even a singing telegram! We'll have it delivered right to your loved one.
GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME: If you're doing some last-minute shopping, there's always the option of gifting your loved one a Fancy Hands gift subscription. Easy, personal, unique and delivered right away or when you choose: https://www.fancyhands.com/gift
We know, there is so much to do in such little time... no need to stress yourself out when you have helpful assistants at the click of a button!
Yes! It really is the week of Thanksgiving.
Whether you need help cleaning, figuring out a recipe or finding last minute accommodations, we're here for you.
Here's a shortlist of last-minute Thanksgiving items we can help you with:
We can help with all of these, plus a bunch more. Let us know what you need and we'll help make your Thanksgiving as easy as...pie.
The theme of this week’s suggested requests is planning, planning, planning! Make plans effortlessly with the help of a Fancy Hands Assistant. You have hundreds of assistants right at your fingertips that will take the stress out of your week. You’ll amaze yourself at what you can accomplish with just a push of a button.
Monday: We'll help you schedule a dentist appointment
Tuesday: We'll help you plan a marriage proposal
Wednesday: We'll help you plan a birthday party
Thursday: We'll help you find a caterer for your barbecue
Friday: We'll help you plan date night
Check out your dashboard for a new suggested request everyday. You may be surprised with what a Fancy Hands Assistant is capable of!
Summer is finally here and that means travel season! Whether you are looking to take a quick weekend trip or a long relaxing vaca we can help. The hardest part of taking a vacation is always planning one so let us take care of the details! Here are a few ways we can help:
There is nothing easy about planning your vacation but allow Fancy Hands to make your life easier before, during, and after your time off!
"You spent how many hours on the phone with Comcast?!"- You, after checking out our Fancy Hands Year in Review: 2015.
Find out how many hours we spent on the phone with your least favorite cable company, plus tons of other stats and fun facts about what you delegated to us in 2015!
It’s hard to believe, but another year has gone by and it’s time to start preparing for family and friends, hopefully some fun(?) and food. Lots of food.
Holiday planning can be stressful, especially if you’re hosting. Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to get started? Here are some helpful things we can do to help take some of that stress off of your, er, plate.
MEAL PLANNING
You’re hosting Thanksgiving- yay! Your sister’s vegan, your uncle is dairy-free and your second cousin twice removed doesn’t eat gluten. You’ve got this. Send us the dietary restrictions and we’ll come up with recipes to make the perfect meal for everyone.
HOUSECLEANING: BEFORE AND AFTER
When you’re running around prepping, cleaning is the last thing you want to do. Let us help you find a reliable cleaning service to make your home sparkle before your guests arrive and after they leave. It’ll be so clean, even your mother will be happy.
CATERING
Skipping the cooking this year? We don’t blame you. Send us your meal requirements and we’ll find and help you order a delicious, hassle-free meal.
TRAVEL COORDINATION
Oh yes, it is the middle of November already. Let us help you find the best deals on last-minute holiday travel and accommodations. Save yourself from sleeping on an air mattress in your childhood bedroom, which has lovingly been turned into your parents’ gym.
BEING A GOOD HOUSEGUEST
We’ll help you have a nice flower bouquet delivered to your family or friends. Or we'll find a nice wine to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever you want to bring, we'll find it. We can even arrange to have you pick it up on the way there so you arrive in style.
There you have it: another Thanksgiving and you’re going to crush it. Now let’s get out there and have a good one, team!
You may have noticed a little tab that’s now showing up on your Dashboard.
What is it? Great question: This tab leads you to a page full of Fancy Hands pro tips. If you click ‘See More’ you’ll be directed to a page that has tons of tips for making using Fancy Hands like a pro.
This page will show you everything you need to know about getting started with Fancy Hands. You’ll find information such as what types of requests you can submit, what can be contained within a request, and what our assistants can do for you.
Interested? Check it out!
Wilko van de Kamp is a best-selling author, award-winning photographic artist and long-time Fancy Hands client. He also runs a weekly magazine called Living By Experience where he shares helpful tips for making the most of your time. Keep reading to find out how Fancy Hands has prevented Wilko from becoming his own assistant.
Time is the one currency we all cannot get more of. We’re all on borrowed time, which sooner or later will run out. Yet we fill our time with being “busy”, claiming we “don’t have time”. It’s time to get your priorities in order, and starting making time for the things you love. Get your time back, before it runs out!
If you don’t have an assistant, you are one (quote by Raymond Aaron)
I’ve had a few assistants in the past that have helped me with building certain parts of my companies, and there have been several situations where I would just delegate anything I didn’t want to do myself. Not because I didn’t have the time for it, but simply because I didn’t feel like doing it. The fact I didn’t feel like doing it was a form of feedback I was ignoring. Some things I didn’t feel like doing shouldn’t be done in the first place as they didn’t serve any purpose. When I started focusing more on my core business, my assistants got more productive too. I don’t just delegate for the sake of delegating, I delegate for the sake of saving time. True efficiency meanseveryone gets to focus on the important things.
When was the last time you scheduled a difficult meeting? How many times did you have to email back and forth to select a date, time, and location that worked for everyone? How many travel websites do you visit to research your next vacation, trying to make sense of it all? How much time do you spend waiting on the phone listening to annoying music and (even worse) on-hold messages? Did you know this can end today? Don’t worry about the back and forth of scheduling meetings anymore. Spend more time enjoying your vacations instead of planning them. Stop making phone calls you don’t want to make. And much more.
Having a personal assistant used to be something reserved for the rich and famous, but not anymore. Thanks to the internet you can enjoy the benefits of having a “virtual assistant”, saving you time every day. Your time and money are worth more when you are able to concentrate on what you do best and leave the rest to an assistant. Virtual office assistants work from their own home-based offices and are highly trained in their skill areas as well as a variety of technologies. Many of them have advanced degrees as well as years of professional experience. Not only can a virtual assistant relieve you of mundane, everyday tasks, but also in many cases, s/he can even help you grow your business.
One of the biggest benefits to hiring a virtual assistant is the ability to delegate work to people who have better skills, and can do work you don’t know how to do, don’t have time to do, or just don’t want to do. The next big draw (when considering virtual assistants over bricks-and-mortar assistants) is that virtual assistants only clock-in and work when you need them and use their own resources. In other words, they’re not charging you to sit there and play solitaire on a computer you purchased for them.
Is it time to hire your own Virtual Assistant?
Top 10 Ways Solo-preneurs Use Virtual Assistants
1. Your VA receives calls routed to his/her home office phone so a call from your prospective customer does not go to voice mail.
2. You need to confirm appointments for the week. Your VA calls the appointments and notes who is confirmed and who must be rescheduled. Your VA even updates your calendar online, if you’re using a mutually accessible calendar program.
3. By using online invoicing software, billing can be done off-site by your VA. You email information to the VA, who then does daily electronic billing or accounting services to get your billing done.
4. You are preparing a marketing plan and need further information. Your VA can contact possible advertising outlets on the Internet, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, etc. and acquire information on pricing, publishing dates, publishing deadlines, payment policies, etc. All information is compiled into a report for you to review.
5. You are preparing a direct mailing and need to verify your database. The database is sent to your VA via email attachment. Your VA telephones each name and verifies name, spelling, title and address. All corrections are made, old names are deleted, and new names are added. The corrected database is “zipped” and returned to you via email attachment.
6. You need a brochure, business card or flyer for your business. Your VA can design, type and print your advertising material using your own artwork or stock art. Your VA can also make the materials ready to print by a professional print shop and simply email the file to the shop for printing.
7. You have a blog or website, but do not have time to update entries regularly. Brief ideas and thoughts or links can be emailed to your VA, who then helps with research or even updates your site for you.
8. You dictate letters, reports, notes or memos and e-mail it to your VA the MP3 file of your recording. S/he transcribes the audio and emails the completed transcript back to you.
9. You cannot keep up with the volume of email and are missing important messages. You or your webmaster set up a general email account (info@). Your VA retrieves all email, sorts, responds to routine requests, and forwards items of importance to you at your personal email account (myname@).
10. You would like to write a book, but can’t get organized. Your VA can compile rough drafts, notes, fragments, letters or memoirs and get them into an editable form to begin the process of formatting the book, research publishers, and send out queries.
Virtual assistants are here to stay. The above shows that virtual assistants can and do work well for most small and home-based businesses and especially solo-preneurs. Over the next couple of years you can expect your conversations with regards to virtual assistants to go from “What is a virtual assistant and what does a virtual assistant do?” to that of “Who provides your virtual assistant services?”
Implementing the use of a virtual assistant, especially through a virtual staffing agency, is a low-cost, low-risk undertaking. If the virtual assistant doesn’t work out, you simply request another, perhaps for a better fit. What’s more, coupling the use of a virtual assistant (or several virtual assistants) with your already up-and-coming business can catapult your income and success to the next level and beyond.
To see the full post, click here.
Lawyer, entrepreneur and all around leader, Cynthia Conlin knows how to make the most of her time. Cynthia has been using Fancy Hands for around a year and she's written about her experience using Fancy Hands on her blog, Facing The Sun. Keep reading to see how Cynthia delegates to her assistants!
I read about Fancy Hands in a blog a while back and figured I’d give it a whirl. Since then, my life has changed for the better. Fancy Hands is a team of personal assistants to whom you can assign specific tasks. Now, they won’t come over and do the dishes (but please sign me up if someone launches that service), but they can accomplish anything that can be done remotely with a phone or computer. They also do it in a friendly manner, and they are accessible via web browser, iPhone app, or email.
While I don’t use Fancy Hands for things that involve client confidentiality, I still have plenty of other uses for a virtual personal assistant, and I have truly put them to work!
Fancy Hands has four monthly plans, starting with the “basic” at $29 a month for 5 tasks per month. If you do not use all the tasks, they roll over. Plus they give you free extra tasks for things like connecting your social networks. I have not yet reached a point where I need to upgrade but so far have gotten great value from the service. Since I enrolled last October, Fancy Hands has, for me, processed a total of 46 requests, placed 262 telephone calls, sent 11 emails, and spent more than 17 hours on the phone. This is a huge value for me, and I’ve been hooked.
Another thing that I love is the convenience of the iPhone app. If I wake at 2 a.m., which I’m akin to do on occasion, suddenly remembering something that needs to get done, I can pick up my phone and delegate the task right then. This ability has put me at ease on more than one occasion as I am able to fall back to slumber knowing that a particular task is sufficiently delegated.
Here are a few things my personal assistants at Fancy Hands have helped me out with:
Scheduled Appointments
I received a promotional postcard showing that if I test-drove a new Fiat 500X I could get a free tote bag, but it required me to call and schedule an appointment when the dealership was open. In the late evening, I told Fancy Hands to take care if it for me. The next morning, my personal assistant booked an appointment on my calendar, and I never had to pick up a phone. (Fancy Hands has access to my calendar through Google Apps, so my personal assistants can review and book appointments directly onto my calendar. Awesome.)
Had a Ceiling Fan Replaced
I have a house I rent out, and the ceiling fan needed to be replaced. I asked Fancy Hands to locate a competent and honest handyman in the area and coordinate a time for him to meet with the tenants and replace the fan. They did this entire job seamlessly, and it saved me a lot of time searching the web and making phone calls.
Researched Transport Services
I had a client who needed to transport a car from Orlando to Georgia. Now I know that this is not a legal issue, but sometimes when you are a lawyer, your long-time clients tend to come to you with all kinds of issues. Practicing law is part legal analyzer, part counselor, part problem-solver. So, when I can, I try to help my clients as much as I can. For this issue, I asked Fancy Hands to search for transportation services, and, within a day my virtual assistant responded with a whole list of contacts and exact price quotes that I was able to relay to my client, which, in the end, makes me a better problem-solver.
Compared Prices
After buying a new color laser printer, I asked Fancy Hands to determine what company sells the most inexpensive toner cartridges and compare them with my existing vendors. My Fancy Hands assistant researched prices and gave me a full report including my usual vendors and a few more, with direct links to the exact toner I needed. I was able to click on the links and buy toner in about two minutes, and the new vendor’s rate was about $15/cartridge lower than my usual vendor, saving me a total of $60!
Tracked Down Garbage Men
One week, the city waste management service skipped our address and failed to pick up our overflowing recycle bin. Normally, I would just have to suffer and be buried in recyclable garbage for another two weeks. However, Fancy Hands took care of it for me by calling up the waste management company and asking them to send a truck over. Within 24 hours, a truck came by, and the recycle bin was emptied. Success!
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If you’d like to try Fancy Hands yourself, please use this special referral link because you can get 50% off your first month, and they will credit my subscription with referral credits. Super awesome deal. They are not paying me to write this blog, but because the service has been so helpful to me, I am giving it a glowing review. I cannot recommend this service enough.
See the full post here.
We are thrilled to announce that you can now text your requests to Fancy Hands!
Yes, you read that right.
Basic, Pro and Premier subscribers can text requests on-the-go and will be instantly connected to an assistant for real-time responses.
How does it work?
Text your request to (646) 755-9298 and you’ll be connected to an assistant. Then you can text as you normally would with a friend. It’s that easy! Your assistant will be able to see your entire text request thread, as you would be able to with any text conversation.
But wait...there’s more. Learn more about how texting is priced here.
Here’s an example of what a text request looks like:
A few things to know before getting started:
You’ll want to make sure you’re texting from the number that’s connected to your Fancy Hands account. If you’re not sure which number is connected, you can view or change this here.
We’d suggest saving (646) 755-9298 as ‘Fancy Hands’ or ‘Fancy Hands Text’ in your phone for easy access. It’s the same number you’d use to call in your requests.
While we can access your calendar to schedule appointments, we can’t yet make payments on your behalf through text. Don’t worry -- we’re working on it!
A good rule-of-thumb for sending in text requests: Anything that wouldn’t work in a text to a friend probably won’t work well in a text request to Fancy Hands. We’d suggest sticking to sending larger tasks through email, the mobile apps, or your web dashboard.
Here are some examples:
Any other questions? As always, feel free to email [email protected] for assistance with this or anything else Fancy Hands related.
Happy texting!
We proudly bring you Part 2 of 'Taking Some Pain Out Of Task Time' by Chris Remus.
In Part 1 of this two-part series I talked about why we experience pain at tax time, how we can relieve that pain by making the tax information collection process easier, and how Fancy Hands can help with that process. In Part 2 of the series, I’ll introduce you to how the three principles of Tax Pain Relief and Fancy Hands can help you take the pain out of tax time.
Principle 1 - Establish a Single Digital Repository for your Tax Information
This is a single digital storage location that you send all of your tax documents to throughout the year. By establishing this digital repository, when tax season approaches, all the information you need is already in one place.
Having all the information in a single place saves you the trouble of scrambling around at the last minute, trying to collect all of the information you need, while hoping you’re not forgetting anything. If you setup the Digital Repository the right way, getting the required information into it should be simple, seamless and self-organizing. Certain information collection tasks can even be automated, if you integrate your Digital Repository with other online services. For these reasons, my Digital Repository of choice is Evernote.
Here are some ideas on how Fancy Hands can help you with Principle 1 -
1 - Setup your digital repository, e.g. an Evernote notebook if you only file personal taxes or multiple notebooks if you file personal and business taxes.
2 - Research and develop a checklist of the information you need to collect for each deadline. If you use an accountant to file your taxes, Fancy Hands can also contact your accountant for a list that they may have available for clients to use. This also makes your accountant’s life easier, since he/she will be getting the information he/she needs, without having to follow-up with you to fill in the gaps.
3 - Add the checklists to the reminders of key tax dates that Fancy Hands set up for you in Part 1 of this series. (Link to Part 1, preferably #2 “Reminding you…” of Part 1.)
4 - Integrate additional systems with your digital repository to automate certain tasks like expense receipt and financial statement collection.
Principle 2 - Use the Single Digital Repository throughout the year
How you setup the Digital Repository is important. However, if you don’t use it throughout the year, it’s not going to be too helpful to you at tax time. Make sure your Digital Repository:
1. Is available to you on whatever device you may have handy when you come across a relevant piece of tax information.
2. Has extensions to make it easy for you to get the document, whether digital or paper, into the Digital Repository.
Again, I’ve found that Evernote excels in each of these two areas. There are also tools that allow you to automate the collection of some aspects of expense receipts and financial statements. You can link those to Evernote too and have them feed the relevant information into your Digital Repository for you throughout the year.
Here are some ideas on how Fancy Hands can help you with Principle 2 -
2. Run digital expense reports, using a system like Expensify, on a monthly or quarterly basis, to generate digital expense receipts for you. Add the reports to your digital repository.
3. Send your financial statements, that have been automatically added to your Digital Repository by a service like FileThis, to your accountant or bookkeeper for reconciliation on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Principle 3 - Use the Single Digital Repository at tax time
This is where you feel the Tax Pain Relief. As tax season approaches, everything you need is now in one place, in your Digital Repository. If you do your own taxes, everything is in one place for you and you can focus on completing the forms, reducing your chance of making costly mistakes, since you won’t be distracted by having to collect tax information while simultaneously concentrating on getting your calculations correct.
If you work with an accountant, you simply need to share the Digital Repository with your accountant, if your accountant is tech-savvy, or export and send the contents of the Digital Repository to them, if they’re not so tech-savvy :) Either way, everything’s where it needs to be and once you get the information over to them, you can focus on the more value-added activities like making key tax-planning decisions for your household and/or business.
Here are some ideas on how Fancy Hands can help you with Principle 3 -
1 - Review the information in your Digital Repository against the checklist developed in Principle 1 and let you know what’s missing.
2 - Share the Digital Repository with or export and send the information from your Digital Repository to your accountant, for a truly hands-off experience.
3 - Pat you on the back for a job well done :)
In conclusion, while these principles may seem simple at first, the real challenge is addressing and following them throughout the year. The fact that your Tax Pain Relief system is very easy to use should help you actually use it throughout the year, be better prepared and feel less pain at tax time as a result. Using Fancy Hands to do some of the work and/or remind you of the things you need to do makes it even more likely you’ll follow these three principles and experience your Tax Pain Relief during this tax season and those to come for many years.
P.S. - If you decide to give Tax Pain Relief a shot, use code “FANCYHANDS” at check-out to receive 10% off the purchase price and access to a lifetime of free updates to the eBook.
About the Author: Chris used to really dread collecting all the information needed to file taxes. Since He was spending way too much time collecting various tax forms, bank statements, receipts, etc., this would lead to him being super-stressed and behind on a lot of other important things during tax season.
Over the past few years, Chris developed Tax Pain Relief to make the tax information collection process a lot easier and better for himself and is now excited to share that relief with others.
Chris Remus is a Fancy Hands aficionado, so much so, that he has figured out a way to take the pain out of tax season with the help of Fancy Hands. Chris has written a two-part guest post on how you can also take the pain out of your own tax season. Enjoy Part One below, and stay tuned for Part Two tomorrow!
Updated 3/9/16: Chris is offering the entire eBook for free with the code "justrollingwithit"!
Just over one-third of us like doing our taxes, yep, really...at least according to a Pew Research Center study conducted in 2013. This post isn’t for those people. This post is for the over 56% of us that either dislike or even hate doing their taxes. I fall into this category of people and am guessing you do too, if you’re still reading :)
For people like us, tax season can be a source of pain, that manifests as a combination of stress, tension, and anxiety. Because of this pain, we may find ourselves trying to avoid it as long as possible, by putting-off doing our taxes to the very last minute. As a result, we haphazardly rush to collect all the information we need to file and either complete the required forms as best and quickly as we can or dump the information on our accountant to do it for us.
This approach leaves us with even more (and now lingering) stress, since we’re afraid that in our rush to get the taxes done and off of our plate, at least until next tax season, we may have made a costly mistake along the way.
A few years ago, I began to believe there had to be a better way to approach tax season and reduce the pain resulting from stress, tension, and anxiety that would build along the way. OK, I thought to myself, if tax season is going to be painful, maybe I can make it less painful by being better prepared when it rolls around each year, or in my case, as a small business owner, multiple times a year.
Daily Worth reinforces what most of us already know, yet still rarely carry-through with, by reminding us that getting a jump on taxes is -
Worth the Effort
What if just a few hours — or even minutes — of effort could result in hundreds, maybe even thousands, more dollars in your bank account? You’d make the effort, right?
Well, maybe. At tax time each year, many of us take shortcuts or overlook important items that cost us big bucks, payable to Uncle Sam. Next year, don’t pay more than you owe. Rather than waiting until the last minute then rushing to file your taxes on time, start early and put in a little time. Do more research. Plan ahead. And you’ll be able to avoid these costly tax mistakes.
What I discovered was that, by setting up a system to collect tax information throughout the year, collecting tax information became so easy to do, I actually did it in advance of each tax season. As result, I became better prepared for each tax season. Being better prepared meant spending less time on taxes during tax season, which also meant less tax season pain. This past April, for example, the time I spent on collecting my tax information and getting it to my accountant dropped from what used to be hours to under 30 minutes!
After experiencing the wave of relief that came along with this pretty drastic reduction, I decided to document the system I used, in the hope of sharing this tax pain relief with others. The result is an eBook called Tax Pain Relief that is based on three very simple principles.
Fancy Hands has been instrumental in keeping me on track, as I developed Tax Pain Relief, while balancing a number of other projects, as well as a my personal life. Looking at my account, it turns out that January 30, 2015 marks my two year anniversary as a very happy client and heavy user of Fancy Hands. The stats on the Fancy Hands dashboard tell me that over the past two years I’ve made 885 requests and that Fancy Hands has placed 777 calls, spent 2.1 days on the phone, sent 167 emails, and scheduled 2378 events for me.
Everything that Fancy Hands has done for me allows me to focus on the things that I actually need to do myself, essentially the places where my time is most valuable. To me this is one of the biggest value-adds that virtual assistants provide and the Fancy Hands assistants excel at providing this value.
Another really big value-add is that Fancy Hands can do things for us that we may have an aversion to doing, however that still need to get done, in essence helping us fight through our own mental barriers and keeping us out of trouble :) Taxes fall squarely into this category for me.
For example, as a small business owner, one of the reasons I subconsciously delay doing my taxes is to avoid coming face-to-face with the reality that a lot of the hard-earned money sitting in my bank really isn’t mine, since a good chunk of that cash needs to be paid in taxes. This sub-conscious avoidance mechanism also would also contribute to me putting-off my taxes to the 11th hour, only compounding the stress, tension and anxiety I would experience each tax season.
So since taxes are something I really hate doing, wouldn’t it be great if Fancy Hands could help me get them done, while making sure I don’t put things off until the last minute in the process? Putting a system like Tax Pain Relief in place also opens the door to allowing Fancy Hands help you take even more pain out of tax time.
As a matter of fact, even before you get started setting-up your own system to take some pain out of tax time, Fancy Hands can help you prepare to make each tax season less painful by:
1. Adding key tax deadlines to your calendar. Ask Fancy Hands to either research a good calendar of key tax dates for you or contact your accountant for one.
2. Reminding you about key tax deadlines throughout the year, with sufficient advance notice to address them. Ask Fancy Hands to add recurring reminders to your calendar events, set up the reminders in a service like Resnooze, or if you need some extra help, schedule recurring Fancy Hands tasks to remind you when key tax activities need to get done. I like this last option a lot, since if you’re experienced with Fancy Hands, you know they won’t quit reminding until you get done what you need to do ;)
In the second part of this series, I’ll introduce you to how the three principles of Tax Pain Relief and Fancy Hands can help you take the pain out of tax time.
P.S. - If you decide to give Tax Pain Relief a shot, use code “FANCYHANDS” at check-out to receive 10% off the purchase price and access to a lifetime of free updates to the eBook.
Check out Part 2 here.
I feel the first line of one of my favorite movies, You’ve Got Mail, says it best: “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” (If you haven’t seen it, first of all: what? Second of all: get yourself to the nearest device with streaming Netflix, and get out the tissues!)
While Fall may not have officially graced us with its presence, the start of the school year certainly has! The beginning of the school year can be as stressful as it is exciting. Perhaps you’re a student embarking on that self-discovery journey we call “college”. Maybe you’re a parent sending your little cherub off to build a contraption that keeps an egg safe when it’s dropped off of a building in the name of science. You might be a teacher getting ready to mold the minds of the next generation. No matter who you are, your life is busy and there’s always going to be something you need to get done, but don’t have the time to do it.
That’s where Fancy Hands steps in and helps make the beginning of your school year slightly less stressful. Below you’ll find a few examples of what Fancy Hands can do to help you out now that school has started. Heck, these might even be things you need help with once you’ve gotten into the swing of things! Either way, we’re here to help make your life easier.
Parents:
Did your child go into the first day with an Anna backpack, only to find that everyone else had an Elsa backpack, and now they need an Elsa backpack too? We can find an Elsa backpack near you, and even purchase it for you. We unfortunately won’t be able to prevent you from hearing “Let It Go” for the millionth time this week.
Want to make healthy and creative lunches for your kids, but don’t have the time? We can plan out a menu for you, complete with shopping list, for the entire school week so all you have to do is assemble. Naturally, you’ll need to add in a bag of Cheetos for cafeteria trading purposes.
Extra-curricular activities can be overwhelming. We can help you add these and any other family events to your calendar so you never miss a beat.
Students:
Need to manage your extracurricular calendar, or maybe just your class schedule? You can connect your Google calendar and we’ll add events and classes so you don’t have to add them yourself. Now you can be social and on time for every class!
Are you having difficulty doing some research for an assignment? We can help find you resources that’ll help you ace that paper. We’ll pull the all-nighter for you.
Books for classes are expensive! We can help you find, purchase and ship you the right book for the right price.
Teachers:
We realize how exhausting lesson planning can be. Let us help you organize your lessons in a spreadsheet, so you can be sure you’re on top of your coursework.
School holidays are a time for you to relax! We’ll coordinate your school’s schedule with your calendar so you can look ahead and know when your next vacation day takes place.
As a teacher, you can take advantage of several discounts in your community. We can help you make a list of these discounts, so you know where you’re eligible and what the discount will be.
For more ideas on what we can do to help you, check out our Common Requests page. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can do so here.
Here's to a great school year for everyone!
*In honor of the First Day of School and Throwback Thursday, here's a pic of me and my sister on our first day of school an undisclosed number of years ago. I mean, look at that color coordination. Seriously.*
If you are planning a move, you may hear this nagging voice in the back of your head telling you that you are forgetting something. Don't ignore it, because you probably are!
There are a lot of small details that go into a move, and there are a few that are constantly forgotten. Chances are good there is at least one thing on this list you are forgetting. Luckily for you, FlatRate Moving and Fancy Hands have teamed up to help make sure you don’t forget a thing. You can now get $25 off of your move with FlatRate Moving! Just use the code "FANCYHANDS" before requesting your quote to get $25 off.*
And, for after you've booked your move, here’s a helpful list of some of the most commonly forgotten things to keep in mind when planning a move.
● Reserve Freight Elevator - You may not know it, but if you are moving into an apartment or condominium building with an elevator you may need to reserve the service elevator. In many cases, this needs to be done at least a week in advance. You definitely do not want your movers to arrive to the new building with all your belongings, if you can't use the elevator. No time to call? Don’t worry, Fancy Hands can reserve the elevator for you.
● Trash and Recycling Bins - If you paid for your bins, don't leave them sitting behind the garage in their hiding spot. If you pay a fee to rent them through the waste company and will have a different provider in your new area, make sure the company picks them up before you move. Fancy Hands can call the waste company andschedule a pick up for these bins.
● Memberships, Subscriptions, and More - When moving a considerable distance away, make sure you cancel your gym membership, and change your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Use a Fancy Hands task to stop or switch your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. We’ll also take care of cancelling your gym membership!
● Gathered Items - Everything from dry cleaning and shoe repairs to school transcripts and vet records fall in this category. If you have loaned out items to neighbors, make sure you get them back. It's a good idea to create a list of things you need to gather and check them off as you get them. Fancy Hands can help you organize this list, as well as help you schedule times to pick up the borrowed items.
● Spare Key - You hid a key under a rock and in a tree somewhere. Now it's time to find them. These need to be left behind for the new owners or residents. While you're at it, take the garage door opener out of your car to leave, too.
● Microwave - You are probably thinking it is pretty strange anyone would leave an entire small appliance behind. Well, in a lot of homes, these do stay behind intentionally, so movers will often assume they stay, especially if the fridge, stove, and dishwasher are remaining in the house. Schedule a reminder to have your Fancy Hands assistant call to remind you to take that microwave with you!
● Mail - You know you need to change your mail. In fact, you have thought about it several times, but decide to do it later because there is plenty of time. Now it's moving day, and as the mail truck passes in front of your house, you realize you didn't take care of it. You can do this right online at the USPS site, or send Fancy Hands your
moving details to set up your mail forwarding.
● Outdoor Items - Hoses, solar lights, wind chimes, and bird feeders are all commonly forgotten. Although, sometimes, some of these are nice to leave for the new occupant.
● Odds and Ends Inside the Home - In addition to the microwave, household items commonly forgotten include floor lamps, shower lines, full length mirrors, plants, magnets, pet bowls, toilet bowl cleaner, plunger, and the coffee maker.
*The fine print: This Offer is valid only for moves booked through FlatRate Moving’s New York branch after the date of this Offer where both the ‘pick up’ and deliver take place between August 19, 2014 and September 30, 2014. This Offer is only valid if presented to FlatRate Moving prior to receiving a FlatRate moving quote. This Offer may not be combined with any other offers, discounts or promotions. Valid on moves valued at $1,000 or more.
The Harvard Business Review blog just published a post entitled "4 Things You Thought Were True About Time Management" in which they discuss the various Time Management myths floating around.
"It’s about managing your time. False.
Time management is a misnomer, says Jordan Cohen, a productivity expert and author of “Make Time for the Work That Matters.” He says that it’s really about productivity: “We have to get away from labeling it ‘time management’. It’s not about time per se but about how productive you can be.” He likens it to the difference between dieting and being healthy. “You can diet all you want,” he says, “but you won’t necessarily be healthier.” In the same way, you can pay close attention to how you spend your time, manage your email, etc., but you won’t necessarily be more productive.
Teresa Amabile, the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and coauthor of The Progress Principle, whose expertise in this area comes from reading thousands of work diaries of workers who documented their struggles to get work done, says it’s more about managing your overall workload. Many managers simply take on too much. “If you don’t keep an eye on the commitments you’ve made or are making, there is no time management technique that’s going to solve that,” she says. Sure, this might be an organization-level problem — many managers overload their team members — but she says that most professionals have more control over their workload than they might admit. “It is possible to say no. It is possible to negotiate,” she says. Cohen agrees: “While your schedule may not be yours per se, you can be judicious about what you go to and how you manage it.”
You just need to find the right system or approach. False.
“Having a system can be useful, but it takes more than that,” says Amabile. “And what works for each person, like spending an hour and a half on focused work at the beginning of the day, will not necessarily work for another person.” The key is to continually experiment with techniques. “Some things may or may not work in a particular context or situation,” says Cohen. Try lots of different approaches — really try them. Don’t change the way you check email for a week and declare it a failure. Set metrics for measuring success, give the approach time, and consider involving someone else — your boss or a coworker — to help you evaluate whether it really worked.
You need to devote time to change. Somewhat true.
One person I spoke to said her biggest challenge was finding time to put time management systems into place. She didn’t have the day or two she felt she needed to set aside. Amabile says this may not be necessary: “Small tweaks can make a big difference. The best approach is to start out with a few small things. Progress in this context might mean that you find yourself with some additional time each day when you can reflect and think. Even if it’s just an additional 20 or 30 minutes each day, that’s progress.” But it depends on how bad your situation is and how desperate you feel. Amabile mentioned one person who decided to use her vacation week for a major overhaul to achieve less stress. She looked at how she was using her time, her level of commitments, and experimented with a few techniques that people had suggested. “She felt things had gotten so out of control that she wanted to give herself this gift. But that was an extreme measure that was necessitated by the extreme situation,” says Amabile.
It’s up to you — and only you — to get it right. Somewhat true.
This may be partly true. “There is no one who’s responsible for how productive you are,” says Cohen. In that sense, this rests on your shoulders. He is clear: “You’re expected to be productive, so you better take this puppy on yourself.” But Cohen and Amabile both say you can’t do it alone. “If you’re in an organization where there are pressures for immediate responses or turnarounds on all requests or there is no room for any kind of slack, it’s very tough to do time management on your own,” says Amabile. She points to Leslie Perlow’s research about small tweaks you can make in any work environment. Still, it may be tough. “Organizations unknowingly put a lot of barriers in front of you to get your work done — unclear strategy and clumsy processes, to name just a few,” Cohen says.
If this sounds like your company, Amabile suggests you make attempts to change the culture. “I would urge people to push back in ways that they believe will be effective,” she says. Raise questions like, “How can we be more productive around here?” This can often be more effective than focusing on getting out of your own bind. “You have a responsibility to push back on the organization,” she says. Cohen also thinks it’s worth talking with senior management, because it’s often bigger than any single manager. “It requires a redesign of how work gets done, where decisions get made, how they get made. There’s only so much that a system can take,” he says"
Are you managing your time efficiently? Find out here.
