Virtual Assistant Forums | Work from Home

My Office Zilla · #1 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008

Question 1: Do any of you share your projects with your clients? Some clients but not others. Some projects with client but not all projects. No way man!

The answer is pretty important because it effects the way you set up your projects...

Question 2: How do you organize your work through Basecamp?

I see two options:

One project per client titled by their name and each large item you work on for them has its own task list...which means you have multiple lists per project but only one project per client. (This means they see everything you work on for them under their company name if you allow them access to the project!)

OR

Every large item you work on is its own project with a task list under that...which means you have multiple projects for each client. (This means the client who has access can't see every task you work on unless it is in a project they have access to.)

Is there an option I'm missing? Which way do you do it and why? Did you start one way and transition to another?

Question 3: Do you use the time tracking feature on Basecamp or do you use a different one?

Make it a great day!

EmbracingLife · #2 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008

Sundi,
I am using Basecamp with Tilda Virtual. Kylie can better explain how to use Basecamp, she has been through the entire program! She also told me since I have a smaller clientele about backpackit, a smaller version of basecamp! I love it!

tildavirtual · #3 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008

Hey Sundi, great questions...

Q1. Heck yes. I pretty much force my clients to use my basecamp intranet. I encourage clients to post messages rather then email me and when I have associates working with me, they can converse with the client and I can still see what is going on. Having said that, there are some techno phobes on my roster and what I do is still have a project for them but just don't give them access.

Q2. Each major project for a particular client has it's own project. For example client P we provide executive VA support, making appointments, phone calls, document creation for those said appointments. We also recently deployed a new website. She had two projects under her company name, 1-General Admin, 2-Website. Mostly clients have the one project and different areas of tasks are grouped together. So 1-Article Marketing might have writing, proofreading, submitting all under that particular to do list.

Q3. I use time tracking on Basecamp and transfer the total hours to QB. I have an associate that creates time reports by exporting just their times to CSV (its a feature to do this in Basecamp) and upload to their client area. That way I don't have to double enter everyone's times.

HTH

My Office Zilla · #4 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008

Thank you so much Kylie! I knew someone would be able to address this for me. Exactly what I needed! Thanks for the insight!

I'm with you...I think strongly suggesting they use basecamp is the way to go! If they want to know what is going on that is!

If you don't mind me asking...what level are you at to house all your projects? How long did it take you to get to that level?

Make it a great day!

tildavirtual · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008

Do you mean what plan I'm on? I'm currently on the Plus plan for $49 a month but I've just realised that I've earnt affiliate income which has reduced my monthly fee. (YAY) I also have done my calculations (once a bookkeeper always a bookkeeper) and include the monthly fee into my breakeven analysis.

My Office Zilla · #6 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008

I love affiliate monies and didn't realize basecamp did that! I'll have to check it out. Do you have a basecamp link from your website or do you simply gain the monies by exposing your clients to it and they buy in for their own business? Since I have only one client currently using it I'm still at the free level. If you want to tell me how to do it, when I do sign up for a paid level, I'll reference you to help out! Enlighten me!

Make it a great day!

tildavirtual · #7 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008

Everyone has the option of signing up as an affiliate. I have a banner on my blog but other than that haven't done much with promoting my link. It is going to form part of my business strategy, I just need the time to sit down and figure stuff out. I'm very picky about what I recommend to others and only have a few select affilate programs of which I am a member of. If I haven't used it and totally believe in it, then I won't tell you I'm using it just to make a buck.

StephanieP · #8 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008

I just went to check Basecamp out. I didn't see a "free" plan like Sundi mentioned. I only saw the 30-day trial that's included with every plan. Am I missing something?

My Office Zilla · #9 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008

Tee-hee. Obviously they don't want you to see the free plan! Under all the payment plan options there is a small blue bar in the same box that says, "You can also choose our free plan which allows you to manage 1 project with unlimited users, but doesn't include file sharing." In that statement you can click on free plan.

If you want to try it out then you just open one project in the free plan and run a new task list for every project you want to run. This won't work if you want to share with clients because you have to share the entire project...not just parts...I believe. Regardless, it should be enough for you to get the feel of it.

One of my favorite parts is being able to personalize almost everything...my favorite color is purple! :p

Make it a great day!

Administrative Partners · #10 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008

I think I'm going to test out the free trial :-) I had a client who was thinking about Basecamp but is going with Client Site instead, I've never heard of it and can't even find a website.. anyone heard of this or have experience working with this PM software?

Thanks