Maybe you've considered working with a Virtual Assistant but you just weren't sure how to use one or what to have one do for you. A savvy Virtual Assistant can take on any and all of those tasks that keep you from your core competency - those tasks that drive you crazy and often get neglected or rushed.

Starting this Tuesday, just a simple tweet on Twitter could win you a free block of 10 Virtual Assistant hours!

Today, Mashable had a stunning 'how to' post on building your thought capital with Twitter. After soaking up the juicy knowledge shared in this post, I thought it might be nice to share how I think Virtual Assistants specifically can utilize Twitter more effectively to build their own thought capital.

Twitter has planted the magic beans and is growing in massive proportions and for any Virtual Assistant to truly utilize it to the fullest, it will be critical to build your reputation and increase your perceived value with a few simple suggestions. First, go read Mashable's post linked above and then come back.... Go ahead, I'll wait.

Just what is a Virtual Assistant and how can a Virtual Assistant save you time and money? Virtual Assistants are independent contractors who partner with you to take all that busy work off your plate and get you back out doing what you love - your core competency isn't dealing with adminitrative headaches! That's our core competency!

A Virtual Assistant provides clients administrative support from their home office, all the services you would expect from an ‘in office' secretary or assistant, plus a whole lot more. With a Virtual Assistant, you never cover payroll taxes, insurance or buy additional equipment or office space, plus most Virtual Assistants bill only for ‘time on task,' saving your bottom line.

With a Virtual Assistant, you get a support professional that can hit the ground running. By taking on several clients, a Virtual Assistant works as an independent entrepreneur partner - they've already grown their skills, thus you don't need to train them. Plus, you can be assured that their success is a direct result of your success - if you're not happy, they're not in business long.

Just this week, VirtuAllin hit the 2000 follower mark on Twitter! If you're not yet using Twitter as part of your marketing plan, you're missing out. Twitter will not only help alleviate your feelings of isolation, but is an excellent means to publicize your business, offer assistance, establish your authority and gain new clients. We've had three new prospects referred to us this week alone, all through relationships we've built by Twittering. Sign up for twitter and follow some of our followers:

If you're anywhere near as bombarded with information, tasks, projects and interactions as I am then you know how difficult it can be to carve out any amount of time each day to stay informed on the latest news and trends. Today, I have the answer for you! A terrific Firefox plugin called Feedly that will change everything about how you read RSS feeds and share with your social network.

No matter what business you're in, you know how critical it is to keep informed on trends in your industry (and the people who most often report them). RSS feeds are a great way to do this, but in the past you were usually stuck with widgets or RSS readers that were clumsy and ugly. I love Google Reader for it's bells and whistles, but even it needed a serious makeover for readability. I found myself ditching my RSS reading in favor of Twitter and FriendFeed. That now is no longer necessary due to the amazing Firefox plugin I've discovered!

I was recently skimming through my FriendFeed and Robert Scoble retweeted a tweet that mentioned Twitterfall. Always curious, I went to check it out and I was really thrilled at this amazing free tool for viewing Twitter trends.