Tips and Tricks Make Excel a Fun Work

10 Excel Tips and Tricks which are dead useful:

1. Automatically SUM () with Alt + =: Did you know you could add an entire row or column by simply clicking the first empty cell? Click, press ALT + '=' and simply add up the numbers in every above cell.


2. Number Formatting Keyboard Shortcuts format: There is a true logic behind the keyboard shortcuts, which otherwise seem random to you. For example, to format a number as a currency you have to use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + 4. It may seem random to you, but SHIFT + 4 gives you a $ sign. So if you want to format a currency, you simply put CTRL + $. You can do the same with formatting a number as percent


3. CTRL + ' to display formulas: While in the process of misbehaving troubleshooting numbers, have a go at the formulas first. See the formula used in the cell by simply hitting the two keys: Ctrl + ' (also called the acute accent key) which is the furthest to left on the row with number keys. It is tilde (~) when you press shift.


4. Go directly to the Start and End of Column Keyboard: Sometimes, data sets are bottomless pits. You could scroll till the end of eternity or use the shortcut CTRL + down arrow to jump down the last filled cell or vice-versa.


5. Repeat the same formula for multiple cells: Typing the same formula for all cells, No! First you need to create the formula in the first cell, and then take the cursor to the right lower corner of the cell. See the cursor turning into plus? Now simply double click to copy the formula and drag it on the rest of cells in the column. Bingo, problem solved!


6. Delete/Add columns keyboard shortcut: It takes you all day to manage columns and rows in your spreadsheet. Here's how you save a little time: Press CTRL + minus and it will delete the column you have placed your cursor on and CHTRL + Shift will add a new column.


7. Adjusting width of column(s): There's a way to get rid of those useless #### entries. Simply click on the column header and move it on to the right side. Double click when the cursor becomes a plus sign and your work is done.


8. Copying a number or date pattern: This one is damn easy! Enter the information in two rows to establish the pattern. Highlight those and drag your cursor down to the number till which you want your cells to fill up respectively. This will work with numbers, dates and months.


9. Tab between worksheets: So cross-checking different worksheets every time means you have to touch the mouse and all that. Why don't you simply enter CTRL + PGDN and if you want to go reverse type CTRL + PGUP.


10. Double clicking format painter: With a simple mouse click, you can now duplicate a format in other cells with only a click. Many excel users use it by double clicking on the format painter to copy the format into multiple cells. Yay!

So these were some amazing excel tips that are deemed to come extremely handy in times when you need to save even an itsy amount of time. It is always easier when you make your data easier to manage.

By Patrick Kee

Why Apple's IOS8 Operating System Should Excite Users and Developers

Apple's new iOS8 operating system was recently revealed at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

While iOS8 may not be a game changer it certainly offers many new features for business use and should excite developers wishing to share and create applications within the new framework.

On the business front, Apple has focused on stronger security. Data protection will be expanded to more applications to enable finer control over such items as mail encryption.

The expanded data protection will include basically all pertinent apps as well as user credentials. These credentials will be protected by a pass code until after a device is unlocked following a reboot.

Apple says it is unleashing a variety of enhanced productivity tools with iOS8. Inbox mail management should be easier as a quick left or right swipe enables a user to mark messages as read or unread or flag them for follow-up.

The new calendar view enables you to see your colleague's availability to schedule a meeting, easing the effort of finding a time convenient for all parties.

Work execution will be easier with iCould Drive. Apple touts you will be able to work on any file anywhere. This will include presentations, PDFs, images and more. This will work right from the iCloud on any device you use, whether it's a MAC or PC.

Need access to corporate documents? Third party document apps can be used to access corporate file servers so you can get to the document you need right from the app you want to edit it in. Apple promises you will be able to transfer files to and from a MAC device even without an Internet connection.

Enhanced connectivity should be a great benefit. Apple says users will be able to start an email on one device and seamlessly continue it on another. iPhone users will be able to answer phone calls on their MAC or iPAD and send SMS messages from any of them.

Those who use photos will enjoy the ability to edit and organize every photo one takes on all your devices though the iCould photo library.

Messaging too will have new features. You can add your own voice into a text message and send a video of what you see as you are seeing it.

Should you wish to workout with colleagues, the health and fitness apps will utilize an easy to read dashboard to share communication with friends, your trainer and even your doctor.

"Spotlight" will serve as a type of answer search engine. It will provide information from Wikipedia and offer trending news and more.

IT departments will have better data and device management tools. iOS8 has more ways to manage information securely without burdening employees with complex rules and work personas. IT staff can now push iBooks, ePub and PDF documents automatically to user devices using mobile device management, MDM, tools. Users should have access to what they need when they need it.

These new tools will give developers deeper access and even more to work with. This will include new keyboard options and still more ways to share content.

Developers will find the ability to create and utilize apps that communicate with other an exciting enticement as Apple pushes the boundaries with this new innovation.

By Marc Arbesman

HTML Code for Virtual Assistants

Let's talk about HTML code. Call it what you want - code, HTML, geekspeak, and so on. Can you read it? No?!? Then learn!

Why should I learn some HTML code?

If you, like so many other small virtual assistant solopreneurs out there, are creating your website on your own.. you should know code. Not at the uber-geek level, but some general code. Knowing how to read code can save you a ton of time when it comes to updating widgets, creating campaigns and tweaking changes here and there.

You also are going to have clients who need a little something changed, fixed, or updated. Be proactive and get formatting errors, mismatched type, and broken links fixed.

If you use WordPress for your site, you can still incorporate HTML.. and sometimes it's simply easier to snag a generated HTML code snippet and paste it into your WordPress post or page. In this type of situation, once you have the generated HTML code, go to WordPress and start your page or post. To the top right of the body field you will see "Visual" and "Text." Text is where you would paste your HTML.

Do I Need Special Software?

No. You can write code in Notepad, which every PC has. There are also a bunch of WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") online HTML editors out there too. If you need a quick change or tweak, they are handy to bookmark.

Do I need to know anything else?

Keep in mind that code is sort of like a highlighter. You highlight the parts that you want to fancy up but putting HTML before AND after the special bits. The code is trapped inside carrots, otherwise known as these little things: <>

Back in the day, we used to call 'em less-than and greater-than signs.

Tip: Remember you need to open the carrots and close them.

The internet has evolved over the years and because of that, there can be more than one set of HTML codes for the same thing. For example, see the codes for italics below.

OK.. Short List Me!

There are ton of basics out there, so let's get started (and keep in mind that this won't show the actual formatting):

• Paragraph: <p></p>
• Bold: <b></b> This is how to <b>bold</b> text.
• Italics: <i></i> This is how to <i>italicize</i> text.
• You can also use <emphasis></emphasis> in lieu of <i></i>

If you're used to using Microsoft Word's Styles & Formatting, then you are familiar with Header formatting. HTML also uses headers H1-H6:

• <h1>Title goes here</h1>
• <h2>Sub-Title here</h2>
• <h3></h3> and so on..

Just as important as formatting your type is, it's also important to insert links.

• Link to a page: <a href="http://www.yoursite.com">Your Site Name</a>
• If you want the page to open in a new tab/new window, then you would use: <a href="http://www.yoursite.com" target "_blank"></a>
• Link to email: Send an email to me at: <a href="mailto:you@yoursite.com>me@mysite.com</a>

Other HTML Codes

There are a few HTML codes that do not require a close.

• Horizontal line: <hr>
• Line Break: <br />
• Adding an image: <img src="http://www.yoursite.com/image1.png">
• If you're image is too large, you can tell the code how big to make the image: <img src="http://www.yoursite.com/image1.png" width="400" height="350">

Did You Know?

Did you know that you can view the HTML for any website? Depending on your browser, you can see the geekspeak by

• Internet Explorer: Right click on the page and choose "View Source"
• FireFox: Right click on the page and choose "View Page Source"
• Chrome: Right click on the page and choose "Inspect Element"
• Opera: Right click on the page and choose "View Page Source"

At the end of the day, any additional knowledge or experience that you add to your VA toolkit will only add to your value and make you indispensable to your clients.

About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:
At Out of the Office, we offer ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success. Schedule your free 30 minute consultation by visiting our website.

By Denise Dukette

Benefits of Reponsive Design

In today's world where mobile devices are fast gaining popularity and are infect replacing laptops and desktops, a large segment of users prefer to carry out most of the tasks using these. In fact so fast has been the growth rate in this segment that neither social networking platforms like Facebook nor the major e-commerce vendors can overlook this segment now. It is therefore important in these times to have the website mobile ready so as not to miss a major chunk of traffic coming visit the mobile devices. There are many ways in which a website may cater to the mobile devices but responsive design is the one
that has become most popular in recent time owing to the many benefits it accrues. In this article we will outline some of the major advantages of this approach:

1] One consolidated website that gives the same user experience as there is no need to have a separate URL with a different mobile copy of the website.

2] Since there is no need for a separate mobile copy of the website, this approach proves to be cheaper and less time taking where as to build a separate mobile site would mean investing more time and resources. This also proves to be quiet effective in terms of man hours since the administrator dos not need to manage two separate websites.

3] Maintaining the aesthetics. Responsive design allows the website to break the website vertically and fit it in according device screen size thus allowing all the images and styles to b kept intact. It also eliminates the need to cut down on images as well as using smaller sized images.

4] Major search engines like Google not only prefers but in fact recommends that the website be responsive since responsive sites use a single URL to cater to the mobile as well as computer traffic, this makes it easy for the search engines to keep track by crawling and indexing the sites. Such sites are often given preference when users search for local service specially, via mobile devices.

5] Increased conversion rate. As outlines earlier many a users nowadays prefer browsing the net using mobile devices. If such users land on a website that is not responsive, they would have a hard time browsing such a website with both vertical and horizontal scrolls. There is also a high probability that website may be rendered improperly on the device. Such users are most likely to leave the website quickly this increasing the bounce rate. Whereas for a responsive website the changes are much higher that the user will stay on and browse the website. This becomes very important in context of e-commerce websites where this may result in higher conversion rates and sales.

With this we have outlined the major benefits of responsive design as briefly as we could without beating around the bush. We hope that this will help you understand the importance of responsive design and would encourage you to adopt this yourself. So go in for responsive design and stay a step ahead of your competitors.

By A. Chaudhary

How To Choose A 3D Etching Machine

As far as the potential applications of three-dimensional printing technology go, 3D etching is one of the least accessible areas to the average layman or woman with the appropriate software and a cheap home printer. This particular strand of the technology requires a degree of expertise and precision that continues to restrict it to professionals in the sector.

Even these pros, however, are not always 100% sure of what they are doing. Much like everyone else, they are sometimes fallible. That is why they are careful to make provisions in order to ensure that the 3D etching process they set in motion goes without a hitch. One of the most important contributions they can make towards this goal is to pick the right kind of hardware for the job.

How To Pick The Right Machine

The choice of the best 3D etching machine for any given business is far from linear. Much like the purchasing process for other highly specialised items of machinery, it involves referencing, reading reviews, consulting with other industry specialists, defining the business's needs and, overall, a lot of browsing.

What this means is that printing and engraving professionals should never settle for the first or cheapest machine of this type they see on the market. Doing so may appear to make the process easier at first, but can prove costly should the hardware turn out to not at all be what they need. A little thought can go a long way in this regard, and industry professionals shopping for equipment should keep this in mind.

In order to ascertain which kind of machine is right for them, professionals should therefore start by answering a few questions regarding which materials the equipment in question will be working on, and which of the numerous 3D etching techniques it will be using. Some of these techniques have hardware built especially for them, so professionals who think - or know - they will be using these forms of the technique might be best served by seeking one of these out.

Once the technical specifications are defined, it is also important to consider the volume of output the machine will be dealing with. A small, home-based printer may do well with a desktop-sized machine, but a larger print shop is likely to need a mid-range or even industrial one. Features such as a high-speed scanner and the ability to produce large-scale objects should also be kept an eye out for.

Finally, it is important that potential buyers take the time to read reviews, procure opinions from colleagues, engage in a bit of comparative shopping, and above all check the terms and conditions of the warranties and certificates. Only by ensuring all these steps, in conjunction with the measures detailed above, can they make 100% sure that the machine they are buying is the right one for them, and not simply a waste of money.

By George Berdichevsky

The Best Bluetooth Handset for Home

The Bluetooth handset for home is gradually becoming as omnipresent as the Bluetooth mobile phone. They naturally complement each other in terms of cost efficiency and convenience, especially when using the telephone services. In the near future, as the technology continues to advance further, every cordless phone is expected to become Bluetooth cordless phone. This will allow for automatic pairing with Smartphones and cell phones the moment you enter your home.

Just as the Smartphone industry is currently experiencing a lot of competition as a result of new companies joining in, so is this industry likely to face the same in the coming years, as more companies are beginning to take an interest in the growing market. Having taken over the world of mobile and personal communication, Bluetooth technology is about to become a benchmark feature of small office and home phone system.

Currently, there are more than 3 excellent Bluetooth handsets in the market. Vtech, Panasonic, and Siemens Companies are the industry leaders. Of the three, Vtech offers the best Bluetooth handset for home with a stylish Bluetooth handset that constantly and reliably pair with a wide variety of mobile handsets. However, Panasonic has launched a vicious competitor that is receiving a lot of impressive reviews; the Panasonic KX-TG6583T.

When you arrive at home, your mobile handset automatically pairs with the cordless phone system. You may choose to leave them in the charging cradle or on a desktop provided that they do not surpass the Bluetooth range, which is about 30 ft from your base station. After they pair, it becomes possible for you to answer or make mobile phone calls via the cordless handsets.

The advantages of Bluetooth handset for home

As mentioned above, by pairing with mobile phones and other related gadgets such as earpieces and headsets, the cordless phone hinders or even eliminates the many variances between the Bluetooth phone and cell phone. For instance, upon entering your office or arriving at home, they pair automatically with your Bluetooth handset. This way they allow you to use the cordless phones to answer or make cell phone calls.

It allows you to answer mobile phone calls from any of the various cordless handsets situated in your entire apartment or house.

Generally, they are more comfortable to use compared to cell phones. Most people prefer relaxing and taking pleasure in leisurely phone conversations once at home, instead of dealing with a mobile phone.

Apart from increasing convenience and comfort, Bluetooth handsets for home and cell phones are in fact very complimentary. Together they prevail over various issues, such as dead zones or weak receptions within your home and excessive exposure to mobile phone radiation.

By allowing you to make mobile phone calls from a standard cordless phone, it becomes more opportune to use free mobile phone minutes. In fact, most users prefer to have their landline services disconnected and answer/make all calls using cellular networks. They way they are able to achieve profits within a short period.

Usually, they are either DECT Bluetooth phones or 5.8 phones. The former are immune to interruptions from WiFi, and offer extended talk-time and an excellent handset range. Depending on the model and design of your device, you can pair at least 2 mobiles and use their services to make external calls from any cordless handset closest to you. This is even more compelling for those with mobile phone plans that offer free talk time.

By Sharmistha Chanda

Transform Your Work Force in to Salesforce

Customer is the king for every business. A happy customer means returning revenues and profitable business. However, to keep the customer happy the workforce needs to be in harmony. If the employees are not satisfied with what they are doing, then how can you expect them to keep the customers happy?

So, the question arises how can the employee's work stress be minimized that will lead to profitable business? The answer to that lies in creating a bespoke CRM that goes along with its Implementation and Training; an impeccable way to help in streamlining workflow at an office. By getting a bespoke CRM devised for your work, you can eventually restructure the work policies and get the best out of the employees.

How does Salesforce implementation work? Let's take a look -

• Business review - the first step involves getting to know about the various facets of your business. Once that is done, the requirements of business become clear and it becomes easy to structure the CRM

• Bespoke Design - once the business process becomes clear, the next step involves designing a platform that goes well with the business requirements. This involves thorough planning of each and every step, and gathering the data that needs to be inserted in the software designed

• Refining Process - after the creation of initial platform, it becomes imperative to check if there are any flaws in it or not? Or, is there something that can be refined according to the business requirements. This refining is highly significant for the entire process, as it will lead to the creation of final product

• Training - when all the processes mentioned above have been completed, the final step becomes implementation of the CRM, to transform your workforce in to Salesforce, and its training. This involves making the administrators, as well as workers, equipped with sufficient information to handle the CRM and help the new people who join the team in future

Isn't that great?

With the help of a CRM consulting company, you can eventually get it all done, be it salesforce platform designing and implementation or the training part. This can virtually prove to be the most inspiring and beneficial thing for your business. After all, when the employees are satisfied with their work they are definitely going to think well for the organization and put more effort towards its success. This is what every business wants.

So, don't you want to give your business the boost? If yes, then get in touch with a consulting firm today!

By Jessi Shumway

The Importance of CRM Support

Customer relationship management software has the ability to revolutionize the way you run your business. With the right program, you will be able to access customer information from anywhere you are because crucial data will be stored on the cloud. Additionally, you will be able to analyze data in a way that you were never able to do. CRM support can ensure you are maximizing your software.

When you purchase CRM software, you want to be sure you are installing it properly. The slightest error in the install can lead to double entry and all sorts of other problems. Since the goal is to be as productive as possible, you need to have CRM support available to you 24/7.

Regardless of whether you need help with installation, usage, or run into a data error, it's important to have a number that you can call. While some of the software providers offer customer support, you may need more individualized support than what they can provide. When you need onsite support or training, you should be able to turn to an expert in your community.

CRM support can help with:

• Installation
• Client communication
• Productivity
• Data analysis

Imagine if you could cut hours off the time you spend analyzing data and you can provide your customers with a higher level of service. This can have a positive impact to your bottom line - and this should always be a priority with your business.

If you are going to spend the money on CRM software, it's important to have the support. Otherwise you may be missing out on a lot of the features. More companies than ever before are managing customer relations with software and if you plan on being up with what your competition has to offer, you need to stay ahead of the learning curve.

CRM support can help you with upgrading your software, providing you with various plug-ins, and more. If you were to buy CRM software right out of the box, you may only tap into 10 or 20% of what the software is capable of doing. If, however, you work with a support company that can help you select the CRM software and support your business, you can tap into 100% of what the software is capable of doing - and this ensures you get what you pay for.

The support will help you get the most of your software and this is of the utmost importance. CRM, ERP, and other programs are designed to provide you with more data analysis and give you the upper hand in the market. However, if you do not utilize the programs to the best of their abilities, you miss out. If you are going to go through the expense of buying CRM software, then you have to be sure you get the CRM support so you can always benefit from all of the features provided in the program - and know when it is time to make an upgrade.

Houston-based CRMatic allows you to take control of your customers with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software system! CRMatic is Houston's premier CRM software provider because we offer a wide variety of CRM software solutions and provide the necessary consulting services to customize any system to match the way your company does business.

By Jeff Weigang

How to Decide If Scribe Is Right for You

When it's time to buy software for your company, you need to do the research. Regardless of whether you have one office or a hundred, you don't want to roll something out only to find out that it is not right. This means you have to figure out whether the various programs are going to be beneficial. Scribe is a great program that is designed for data migration and data integration. To ensure it is right for you, there are some ways to go about this.

One of the first things that you need to do is schedule a demonstration with a software provider. This ensures you get to see how the software works in person. While there may be websites where you can see a quick video or some screenshots, this only shows you what a company wants you to see. It is more advantageous to get into the program on your own to see how it works and what it is capable of.

During the demo, you can ask a lot of questions to find out how easy it will be to perform various tasks. You may want to find out how easy it is for Scribe to convert from one format to another - and the demonstrator can show you on the spot so you walk away from the demo with all of your questions answered.

You need to be honest about what features you desire out of your software. This means you should familiarize yourself with all of the potential features available and then check to see which ones are relevant to your company. You can then ensure you buy the right software without the need to upgrade a few years down the road.

Compare Scribe to some of the other programs that are out there as well. No matter how you feel about the software and how much you think it will change the way you run your business, it's important to make some comparisons. This will allow you to gain confidence with your decision knowing that you have already looked into the other ones out there.

It is also a good idea to invite others that you work with to check out the program. They may find flaws in a program that you don't. Remember that you are not the only one working with it, so it is important that everyone is on board with rolling out new software. Since everyone will be using it, it will only be fair to involve a few different departments in the decision.

Cost and features are going to be the main items to focus on. If you can afford Scribe and it has all the features you need, proceed. Before you buy from just anyone, be sure they will provide you with the support you need during the rollout phase as well as whenever you have a question. This will ensure you get the best software for your company - and you know who to turn to when there are issues.

Houston-based CRMatic allows you to take control of your customers with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software system! CRMatic is Houston's premier CRM software provider because we offer a wide variety of CRM software solutions and provide the necessary consulting services to customize any system to match the way your company does business.

By Jeff Weigang