Alliance for Virtual Businesses

 
[Home]

March 2005

new software provides 'virtual printer cable' for virtual assistants

A client in Seattle calls upon his virtual assistant, Jennifer, located in Kansas City, to prepare bound copies of a sales presentation that his colleague will need for a meeting that starts in five hours in Miami.  Not long ago, this challenge might have seemed impossible.  Although Jennifer has a computer and Internet access, she doesn't have the resources to accommodate big document production and copying jobs.  But even if she did, how could she prepare the materials and get them to Miami in five hours?

Innovative Solution

The software called File, Print FedEx Kinko's connects Microsoft Windows users to more than 1,100 FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers nationwide.  The tool is free and can be downloaded at fedexkinkos.com. 

File, Print FedEx Kinko's provides VA's with instant access to the same sophisticated printing and shipping technologies that larger competitors use without having to buy and store expensive equipment.  The software works over the Internet to provide easy access to FedEx Kinko's services not available on most home or office printers, such as selecting different paper stocks, printing double-sided, binding and stapling, and adding report covers.

Unlike online orders placed through a Web site, this innovative new printing tool works from inside Microsoft Windows software.  Using the software is similar to sending documents to an office or home printer.   

Moreover, the geographic distance between VA and client is irrelevant when using File, Print FedEx Kinko's. VA's can send documents or presentations from anywhere in the country to any of the 1,100 U.S. FedEx Kinko's locations.  The VA's client can pick up the completed order at a convenient FedEx Kinko's location or receive the order via FedEx shipping.

Software features include:

  • A simple, easy-to-use interface.

  •  Quick access to all of the ordering options that customers use most.

  • The ability to easily find convenient FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers anywhere in the United States.

  • Order preview and pricing.

  • Flexible production, payment and delivery options - including customer pickup or FedEx shipping.

How does all of this help Jennifer, the VA in Kansas City? Using File, Print FedEx Kinko's software, she can deliver great customer service by sending the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation directly from her desktop to a FedEx Kinko's in Miami.  She can select the printing, paper, binding and cover that will meet her client's needs. Finally, the client's colleague in Miami can pick up the finished product within as little as four hours from the time it was submitted.

For VA's like Jennifer, File, Print FedEx Kinko's creates a "virtual printer cable" that provides access to the printing and copying resources of a large company from the privacy of a home or small office.  Jennifer may have missed out on a trip to Miami; however, she can rest assured that the product her client and his colleagues receive will reinforce the benefits of calling upon the services of a VA.

To learn more about File, Print FedEx Kinko's, visit http://www.fedexkinkos.com/avb.