Seriously, I need to know. As I build my business I realize that I am keeping track of more appointments, tasks etc... and while I love my little blackberry I kinda miss my Franklin planner. I really am attached to paper. So since I have obviously a little time on my hands I began to wonder what my fellow VAs are using. So my question is Paper or PDA for you? Now I will go focus and wait for your answers.
Thanks,
diana

I set up an excel spreadsheet for tax/bill deadlines for my clients (and myself), which I print out and highlight as each item is completed.

I use my outlook calendar for personal/business deadlines and put my daily to-do list in a notebook which is transfered to a white board each morning.

This works best for me since I still work a 9-5 as well as working on Goddess.

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Lily E. Chambers, CPS
The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
www.virtualofficegoddess.com

I would be lost without the tasks list and calendar in outlook which I can sync to my PDA. My PDA is my life. It goes everywhere with me. I can code each client in a different color, my business in my brand color and personal stuff in yet another color. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. (My friends think that I am OCD about my organization, but it works for me)

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Rebecca Thompson
CLR Virtual Connection

I use Outlook for task lists and calendar and sync it with OneNote. I do still keep my Franklin planner in my bag so if I am at an event, on the road or just need to jot a quick note it is there as well. I also use that for all my business receipts until I have a chance to scan to Shoebox and book them in QB.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

I have never become a fan of Blackberry or PDA. I work at home, I have a computer in front of me with a calendar, To Do List, Excel and everything I need. I have a perfectly good DayRunner to hand write notes and appointments as back up for when the computer isn't on. If I am out of the office, my mobile is more than capable of accepting a phone call or taking a message if I'm busy. There is a calendar on the phone, but I rarely use it.

I may be special in that I don't have many appointments to go and visit clients. I have enough work just over the computer and phone, so rarely need to go out on business. This means that if I am out for a social event, I don't want my phone beeping me and tempting me to look at emails/twits/appointments when I should be spending time with my family and friends. That's what being a VA is about. Making choices. Mine is to not overcomplicate my life with gadgets and being at the beck and call of others 24/7.

I find this works great for me, but of course everyone is different. I am super organised most of the time but no matter how hard I try to keep everything on the computer, I still need to have a notebook and list things as I think of them or make notes while on the phone etc.

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Marie Chandler
www.officesupportonline.com.au

I am not at everyone's beck and call 24/7, but I have had my palm since college and just had had it all this time (it is just that great, that I have never traded up). I actually have found that alot of business people carry theirs to networking events and don't like the clutter of business cards so they "beam" their info to other palms. Plus if I am at an event and someone wants to call me to get more info, I want to be able to schedule RIGHT THERE instead of us saying "ok let me go home and look at my calender" and them change their mind or lose my card. I have their info and we schedule. My org skills are mad good and so I dont have to over complicate my life with gadgets, I use them cohesively together, works great for me.

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Rebecca Thompson
CLR Virtual Connection

I mix and match. I have an old school paper planner where I jot down important meetings, but sometimes I schedule meetings in my cell phone too just as an extra reminder. I also keep a detailed Excel spreadsheet to list all of my current and upcoming projects, so I know at a glance what I have going on in any given week.

I've always been interested in checking out a PDA, though, and thanks to Rebecca's rave reviews, I'm even more intrigued...*heading off to price PDAs now*...

You can get a refurbished one for like half the cost at Palm. I have the M515 and have had it since 2002, I think, and I LOVE it. One of the things is that I have a program that I bought in college called Docs to go on it and if I am out and I get an idea I have Office on my palm and then I can send it to my computer when I get home. I just LOVE it.

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Rebecca Thompson
CLR Virtual Connection

I use google calendar which is synced with my outlook calendar. That way I can add info on the go from my Blackberry and it adds it to both. Out of habit I also have a pad of paper sitting next to my computer that I jot down notes, highlight when done. Billing is all kept track of in quickbooks.

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www.sageva.com
Shelley Halpain,

I also use the google calendar which is synced to my outlook calendar. I do not have any billing to keep track of yet, but when the time comes I already have have Quickbooks downloaded.

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Shante'
http://www.gatewayvs.com