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Current trends in business are conspiring to create a revolution in the way that small and medium sized companies do business. These forces have created an environment in which growing companies can make maximum use of their labor dollars, while accessing a talent base previously unreachable due to the costs involved with hiring top talent.
The first trend is towards self-employment. Entrepreneurship is at an all time high. According to a study by Register.com Inc, 47% of U.S. adults have taken initial steps toward starting their own business or supplementing their income. However, once out of the corporate world, many small business owners find that they have budgets too small to access the level of talent that they took for granted in the corporate environment. A small business owner will typically have to choose which skill set is needed most when deciding to hire. In other words, the decision to hire is driven by a need for human resource, administrative, financial, marketing, sales, legal, skills etc. The problem, of course is that the budget of a small growing company will often require a choice as to which specialty is needed most, to the exclusion of the others, while also limiting the level of professional one can hire.
A second trend is the emergence of Virtual Assistants. Virtual Assistants are typically some of the professional level people mentioned above, who have left the confines of corporate America to start their own businesses. Virtual Assistants are independent contractors who work from home providing a variety of services to businesses. This trend allows these highly skilled professionals to bring their knowledge to bear for a whole range of companies that would otherwise not have access. While VA's were once limited to more administrative tasks, they now encompass the entire spectrum of professional skills. If it can be done from home, there is a VA doing it.
This leads to the inevitable question- how do VA's find employers, and how do employers find VA's?
Enter a Virtual Staffing Service. With a virtual staffing service, the VA's have already been interviewed and screened and are ready to hit the ground running. The benefits of using a staffing service include a backup VA when your individual VA is on vacation or sick, you may discover that you need assistance with marketing which your particular VA does not offer but rather than start the search process again, all it will take is a quick call to your staffing service and they will have a VA ready for you the next day. One of the main advantages of utilizing the services of a staffing service is that you can choose the VA from a variety of resumes and if there is a problem you will be able to switch VA's easily.
What companies are starting to appreciate is that Virtual Assistants cost companies a fraction of the cost of actual hires. A company employing Virtual Assistants can utilize the services of a whole range of professionals instead of having to choose which specialty is needed most as the company grows. For the cost of one salaried Administrative Assistant, a business owner could utilize approximately 1400 hours of assistance divided among any number of top professionals. Utilizing Virtual Assistants allows businesses access to the exact services that they need, it also allows businesses to shift gears more quickly and efficiently by investing in growth rather than payroll because they are paying only for the time spent on their project. There is no longer a reason to worry about taxes, benefits, vacation pay, and time wasted by the water cooler.
More and more businesses are coming round to the idea of Virtual Assistance; it's a win-win for everyone involved. It gives businesses the help that they need without the hassle of hiring a full-time employee.
Today's trends in bathrooms lean toward relaxation and this can be achieved by thinking “Day Spa” for inspiration. Day Spas tend to use a lot of dark wood in contrast with neutral colors like beige and white. Some then accentuate with a deep color toned with brown for a color punch.
If you are unable to change the basic fixtures in your bathroom to incorporate cabinets that look like furniture pieces or a new stone tiled, glass enclosed shower, you're not alone. So here we're going to look at changing only the items that are not permanent to create the “spa” look we want.
First choose your color scheme and paint any textured drywall surfaces. Neutrals work well for this with white for window and baseboard trim. Using a dark color like black or dark brown on trim is also becoming very stylish. Painting is THE most inexpensive way to totally make a room feel different.
The shower curtain is the next thing to consider. “Classic elegance” is what you need to be thinking when you make this choice. A great way to get a custom look is to make a cloth curtain yourself and add a liner under it. This way you can take it all the way to the ceiling or install a cornice at the ceiling with the curtain falling behind. This is a very custom look and makes a huge impact to the room.
A rug on the floor is a necessity, however, don't choose your rug from the bathroom accessory aisle. Choose a durable room rug that is appropriately sized to add “classic elegance”. And never, never, never, never buy one of those bathroom rugs that wraps around the base of the toilet, they are just plain – wrong.
Another thing your can consider to give your bath that “spa look” is to replace the mirror with a framed mirror. But if that's not possible, then add a frame to the existing mirror. You can get molding at Home Depot or Lowes. Just cut the wood to fit your existing mirror by cutting the corners at a 45-degree angel. Then attach the pieces together at the corners with brackets, paint or stain, and hang. You'll have a custom framed mirror that is gorgeous.
Lastly, add matching towels, candles and accessories and you'll have your very own “Spa Retreat” without having to leave your house.