Things To Outsource To a VA

http://m.entrepreneur.com/article/225318

PayScale.com Article: Low-Paying Fast-Food Jobs Cost Taxpayers Big Bucks

Low-Paying Fast-Food Jobs Cost Taxpayers Big Bucks 

This article is SO TRUE! 

http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/10/low-paying-fast-food-jobs-cost-taxpayers-big-bucks

Yet one of the largest fast food chains (yes it's McDonald's of course) still doesn't pay it's employees enough money to live, even if they worked full time.  It's sad because i have noticed jobs these days on Craigslist where I know should pay more or at least pay average, but they don't, they pay below $10/hour!

The problem I think with living in Austin is for one, there is no demand because everyone wants to move here. And two, the employers in this city know that there are mostly college students they can find to work at these $10/hour or less rates.  I mean, come on...some of the largest companies here in Austin make you work at $10/hour for a long time before you become permanent with the company.  

I used to be able to get $14-$16/hour for temp jobs, but now even temp jobs are telling me this-and-that job pays $12 or $11.88/hour.  I understand working to get into a company and doing what you need to do but how are we supposed to live when these temp-to-hire jobs make you work like $10/hour for a whole year before reaching their nearly double per hour rate once you become permanent.

~Alicia Marie

Is Your Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (tablet PC) Not Turning On?

For business / personal reasons I own a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.  I bought my device in March 2013 on Amazon.com.  I also own a Samsung Galaxy Sii (or S2) and sure it works great but there are many times where you just want a little larger screen.  I opted for the 7 inch screen, instead of the 10 inch, so it could easily fit in my purse.  I had a problem this week that I've had before but previously I was able to fix the problem.  This time, I was able to charge my tab but it would only charge to 50% and then I actually could not get it to turn on.  

  

 When I first charged it I was charging it through an extension cord, simply because all my other plugs were being occupied.  It charged to 50%, but didn't turn on.  Then I charged it directly into a wall outlet.  Still wouldn't charge past 50% nor would it turn on.  So I got online to Samsung's Live Chat Customer Service and they asked me had I tried charging it through my laptop.  Of course I hadn't thought about that yet, so i got off the phone to try what they suggested.  I let the laptop charge via the cable through my laptop and let it charge overnight but for a total of 10 hours.  Normal charge time through an outlet is 7 hours.  They explained that since it would be charging through the laptop, it takes longer to charge.  But guess what? That didn't work either:(

So today I started to put the original box it came in, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and an old Amazon.com box that I saved with those little pockets of air for cushion and set it all aside.  As I did other things around the house I was prepping my work out bag before heading to the gym and reached inside and what do you know...it was apparently the original Samsung adapter.  The entire time I apparently wasn't using the correct adapter, but an adapter that went to my current and previous Samsung Galaxy cell phone. 

Here's the slight difference between Samsung's Sii charger and the Galaxy Tab 2 charger:

Samsung Galaxy Sii (S2) mobile phone adapter:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 - tablet PC adapter - notice how juts before the metal plugs it protrudes out a little.  Also, in person the adapter is obviously larger than the Galaxy sii (S2).

A-Ha! So I immediately got excited, plugged in my Tab to an outlet with the original adapter, turned it on an VOI-LA! It worked!  I was sooo excited! So apparently that was the problem.  Even though I was using a Samsung adapter it wasn't giving out enough "volts and amps" to power my Tab more than 50% or to even turn it on.  Now i normally understood how using some other after-market charger could actually cause problems with electronics, but i never thought that a Samsung Galaxy Sii (S2) cell phone adapter would not work on it's Big Brother Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

I just thought i'd pass this onto the people out there on the internet searching desperately for the answer as to one of the reasons why they can't get their Samsung to power up once it's gone dead. And just like the Apple folks have everything Apple, I can only assume that people who have owned a Samsung Galaxy owns more Samsung products.  

~Alicia Marie

Link to Samsung's Website About the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
Link to Amazon.com website where I purchased my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Number of freelancers growing in the U.S. - VIDEO

This is a great video to watch from CNN.com on how being a freelancer now in the United States is growing rapidly.

Number of freelancers growing in the U.S. - VIDEO

FREE Printables - Step Into My Office

Here's another cute FREE printable I just created in various fonts.  The name of the font I downloaded is in the title of each  JPG file and are printable on 8.5 X 11" paper.

Enjoy!

~Alicia Marie

Virtual Assistant / Freelancer
Austin, TX

www.HireMeAliciaMarie.com

What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur Now (video) from SXSW

Us aspiring Virtual Assistants ARE Entrepreneurs, don't forget that.  Part of my whole transformation of working for myself isn't just so I don't have to work for someone else. I have many other reasons that have led me to this decision at the age of 35.  Job security, being able for each day to be just a little different from the previous, future flexiblity in my day when I have children and yes, the fact that there is no real cap on the income I could make for myself is just the last reason actually.

Here is a video I found on Entrepreneur Magazine's website from SXSW's Interactive Festival in Austin, TX.  How irronic.  I live here! LOL. Just 10 minutes from Lamberts BBQ where this was filmed.

Enjoy.

~Alicia Marie
HireMeAliciaMarie.com
Austin, TX

click here to see the video

Free Printable Office Decor - Work Smarter Not Harder

A simple term, yet effective..."Work Smarter, Not Harder" in 5 different fonts.  Right click and save the JPG file to print on 8 1/2 X 11" paper, photo paper or cardstock paper.  Since they are JPGs they can also be rescaled into something smaller like 5X7 or 4X6 for a frame.

Enjoy!

~Alicia Marie
www.HireMeAliciaMarie.com