Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 26, 2015

'I have just spent the last hour looking through jobs that are currently available to assistants. It has been really interesting reading all of the different job descriptions, the skills that are required and the salaries attached to different levels of the role. The first thing I noticed is that most of the positions are fairly similar. The description lists all of the core skills (diary and email management, travel arrangements, expenses etc) followed by one or two more bullet points relating

Job Hunting 204

Job Hunting Project Management Social Media Skills 204

Office Organization Success

JANUARY 22, 2015

'This simple strategy can add hundreds of new subscribers to your list … practically overnight! And it’s a very simple, yet low-cost marketing strategy that you can implement on a regular basis to reach your target market. Plus you’ll have the advantage of you being able to interact with your audience – they’ll be able to hear your voice and you will become more ‘personable’ to them.

2015 202

2015 Time Zones Promotion Stress 202

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 19, 2015

'Kill multitasking! Juggle with precision focus. As I perform seminars throughout North America in every kind of business you can think of, I often encounter people who are proud that they can multitask. I have been engaged in this topic and spoken on it for the past few years. What about you? Do you regularly multitask, such as reading e-mails while someone is talking to you on the telephone?

2014 200

2014 Customer Service Stress Management 200

Eco-Office Gals

JANUARY 23, 2015

'When you hear the term “eco-friendly,” your mind might jump to advancements like solar panels , electric cars, and walls that keep heat inside. And, while these certainly fit the bill, they aren’t always the most budget-conscious options for everyday individuals who simply want to minimize their negative effects on the Earth. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make your home a greener place without spending a ton of green.

Clothes 191

Clothes Budget Purchasing Expenses 191

Speaker: Chester Santos

Forgetfulness is costing you time, money, and a ton of missed opportunities. In the age of automation, it’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-trained human mind. But memory isn’t just a parlor trick, it's a strategic edge. Human memory is one of the most underrated business skills. Whether you’re managing people, leading sessions, or having high-stakes conversations, remembering names, details, and concepts can be transformative in building trust, absorbing knowledge, and driving perform

Skills

The Small Business Blog

JANUARY 22, 2015

'All businesses, whether large or small, will produce or possess sensitive information. This data must be kept confidential in order to protect the interests of an organisation. If you do not dispose of this data in the right manner, it could compromise your company as well as your clients. It is important to get rid… Read the full article here: How Your Business Could Benefit from Mobile Shredding Services on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

Health 188

Health 188

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 27, 2015

'Tanya Mohn's New York Times article Coworking on Vacation: A Desk in Paradise  hit a cord with readers. It lit up social media with thousands of tweets and Facebook posts.  The article focuses on coworking facilities in exotic or tourist oriented locations that also provide accommodations. These spaces are targeted at people who want to take "workations" Key quote: These new centers are an offshoot of co-working spaces, which offer the benefits of an office environment o

Social Media 181

Social Media 2014 Lifestyle Travel 181

Productivity Bits

JANUARY 6, 2015

'If you are like most productivity-aware people, chances are you already have penned down goals or "things" that you want to accomplish this year. Most have theirs when the last quarter kicked in last year. You constructed these goals in a way that each one is geared towards you becoming a better person than last year - more or less. You probably have an execution plan on how to accomplish them in manner that WINNING is the only result expected.

Goals 171

Goals 171

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 20, 2015

'Your career should be a work in progress whether you are climbing the corporate ladder or staying in your current position and wanting to increase your effectiveness. There is a difference between having an occupation and a career. In an occupation, you are stagnant. A career is taken seriously; you continually seek out ways to grow and improve. An occupation is short term; it is drudgery, draining and just something you do until something better comes along.

2015 180

2015 Retirement Calendars Confidence 180

Eco-Office Gals

JANUARY 6, 2015

'Are you a green company, or are you just trying to attract a new segment of buyers? The truth is, many companies are a little bit of both. Green industry is still on the upswing, and the market is big enough to interest all types of business. However, as more companies get into it for the money, consumers are becoming pickier about who they use and why.

Google 181

Google Environment AT&T Expenses 181

The Small Business Blog

JANUARY 6, 2015

'Along with the countless other things a start-up has to deal with when setting up a company, there is the major decision of how the company should trade legally. Establishing it correctly at the outset is crucial and could eliminate many issues along the way. It could also have profound implications for the financial future… Read the full article here: How Should I Legally Structure My Startup Business?

Legal 168

Legal UPS 168

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.

2025

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 28, 2015

'According to Variety , NBC has ordered a pilot of the comedy "Sharing", which it describes as: “Sharing” is a single-camera entry from Universal TV about disparate groups of people who work side-by-side in a shared office space. Jeremy Bronson wrote the pilot and exec produces with Jimmy Fallon and Rick Schwartz. Damian Lanigan is a co-exec producer.

169

169

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 5, 2015

'What are the main aspects of your role? I have a dual role: my primary responsibility is being the PA to the managing director. I manage his schedule and monitor his emails, as well as help organise some of his travel, company events, and client dinners, occasional research, expenses and ad hoc tasks – all the general PA duties. The second part of my role is office manager, which involves maintaining and helping to run our trendy studio in Shoreditch.

Restaurants 185

Restaurants Expenses 2015 2014 185

Office Organization Success

JANUARY 13, 2015

'Are you doing what many service professionals are doing when it comes to marketing? And jumping around from one online marketing strategy to the next? Without giving any one of them any time to really work? Many business owners make the mistake of picking one or two online marketing strategies, trying them for a couple of weeks, deciding that they don’t work because they’re not bringing in new subscribers, and then moving on to the next hot online marketing strategy that they’

Constant Contact 166

Constant Contact AT&T 2015 Promotion 166

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 26, 2015

'Employees often ask me “How can I continue advancing my career after I feel I’ve hit a career plateau?” They also tell me that they like who they work for and the work they do, but feel stagnant. Anyone who asks that question is a go-getter! How does an employee continue moving forward in his or her chosen profession? Expand your job. A lull in your career may signal you’re ready for new challenges – not necessarily a new job.

2015 172

2015 Training Mentoring Goals 172

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

Payroll

Eco-Office Gals

JANUARY 16, 2015

'Solar panels are gaining quite a bit of popularity. Still, they’re a relatively new innovation. Most people know what they are, but don’t know much about the specifics such as how exactly they work or how to install them. Unless you’re an engineer, you will probably need a professional to give you specifics for your home, but we can start here as a jumping-off point.

Training 172

Training 172

Virtual Moxie

JANUARY 20, 2015

'Jasmine picked my brain with a billing question. One of her clients has her making lots of phone calls. Often, Jasmine ends up sitting on hold for long periods of time. And when she does, there’s another client’s work that’s easy to do at the same time. Her question was whether she should be billing them both for the same time, or not. It’s a great question—and the answer is yes; bill them both.

Phones 162

Phones Email UPS 162

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 13, 2015

'Barlow Research Associates is an analyst firm that helps financial institutions better understand the small business sector of the economy.  For over a decade Barlow has fielded a quarterly survey of businesses on topics of interest to financial institutions. Because of their history and the comprehensive nature of the their surveys, Barlow has lots of interesting and insightful information on small businesses.  The Barlow chart below shows the rapid aging of U.S. small business own

2007 167

2007 Retirement 167

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 30, 2015

' I’ve often been asked to give advice to assistants who work with a self-reliant boss. I have experienced this myself and it can be really frustrating. I’ve worked for Executives who have employed assistants because the business expects them to have one, I’ve worked with managers who are unable to or are unwilling to delegate work and I’ve worked with Directors who are so highly organised they don’t need the extra support.

Assertiveness 179

Assertiveness AT&T Management Email 179

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.

Equipment

The Small Business Blog

JANUARY 14, 2015

'Over the past decade, our obsession with the open plan office has well and truly skyrocketed. Small businesses everywhere have been following in Google, Facebook and eBay’s footsteps, knocking down the dividers and grouping people together in a desperate bid to save space, encourage collaboration, and increase teamwork. All of this sounds great, especially when… Read the full article here: Misconceptions of the Open Plan Office on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

Facebook 159

Facebook Collaborate Google 159

Tips From T. Marie

JANUARY 29, 2015

'When I first started my virtual assistant business I was on a tiny budget. Surviving on unemployment and taking part in Maine’s Self Employment Assistance Program meant that I just didn’t have any extra money to invest in my little start up. Even so, I cut back on the things that I could in order to get a business phone line, a multi-function fax/printer/copier and a couple of business books.

Purchasing 152

Purchasing Fax Training Budget 152

Office Organization Success

JANUARY 7, 2015

'Have you ever wanted to create a marketing plan so that you would know exactly what to do to get more clients? Well now is your chance: GET CLIENTS NOW! 28-day marketing plan. Here’s just some of what you’ll learn during this program: What really works to market a service business, and what doesn’t. Over 100 different tools & tactics for marketing your business.

Training 152

Training AT&T Learning 152

Virtual Moxie

JANUARY 5, 2015

'The brilliant Alice Inoue of Happiness U wrote a smart post about why people don’t reach their goals. I loved it, wanted to share it, and felt called to add one more piece to the discussion in case it’s helpful. Be sure to read it, then come back and continue to read my post. Alice talks about the conscious and unconscious, and how, in goal achievement, the unconscious always wins.

Goals 160

Goals 2015 Clothes International 160

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Management

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 6, 2015

'The Pacific Standard's interesting article What Was the Job? claims 2014 was the year the job broke. By that they mean 2014 was the year we accepted a re-interpretation of the traditional job's fundamental bargain and "bought in to the push to get us to all work for ourselves rather than each other" Key quote: The job was once something we felt we could depend on.

2015 150

2015 2014 Health UPS 150

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 28, 2015

'As any PA knows, taking minutes is a challenging and essential skill. This guide provides some handy tips on getting it right, every time. Do your research. Our PAs have suggested that the toughest aspect of taking minutes is understanding what is being discussed – summarising information you don’t understand is particularly tough when you’re having to summarise it rapidly.

Meeting Minutes 174

Meeting Minutes Skills Environment Management 174

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 12, 2015

' I am so excited to kick off 2015 with a bang for many reasons. One big reason is I am feeling great and healthy. Second is because Office Dynamics will be celebrating its’ 25th year anniversary all year long and boy, do we have surprises for you! So please take 2 minutes to read today’s Monday Motivator. It is a special message and I don’t want you to miss one word. 25 years!

2015 149

2015 Training Agenda Administrative Training 149

Productivity Bits

JANUARY 15, 2015

'Working from home has its own share of pros and cons. While it is a more feasible option for many, there are people who would choose to work in a proper professional setup without even a hint of homely feeling to it. The choice varies from person to person but recently there is a growing trend of home-office setups. People give their homes the touch of an office ambiance.

Home Office 142

Home Office Goals 142

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Interviewing

Office Organization Success

JANUARY 28, 2015

'This past week I’ve been working with several clients helping them to create their 28-day marketing plan. And one of themes that has come out of it is that when we market our businesses we very often take the easy option, rather than the option that is going to push us out of our comfort zone and get us the results we’re looking for. Easy is: Updating your website.

Social Media 149

Social Media Forms Training Networking 149

Virtual Moxie

JANUARY 13, 2015

'Nearly a decade ago, Oprah did a special event that she called the Legend''s Ball, to honor a group of African American women who had paved the way for others. I can''t tell you what an impact it had on me. . Among the "Legends" were Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Alice Walker, Lena Horne, and Toni Morrison. Among the "young ''un''s"—the younger women who were paying tribute to the Legends—were Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Judith Jamison, Anna Deveare Smith, and Iman.

Forms 158

Forms AT&T UPS 158

Small Business Labs

JANUARY 22, 2015

'DCRTrendline's New Sources of Talent  covers research by Ardent Partners showing that hiring firms are shifting how they locate and hire contingent talent (freelancers, contractors, etc.). The Ardent Partners chart below from the article shows survey data on this shift. According to the article, the big shift is away from traditional staffing firms and towards: Private Talent Pools.

Social Media 148

Social Media 2017 2016 2014 148

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 21, 2015

'Thanks to our wonderful partners at Tate we have a very special giveaway for Practically Perfect PA readers this month. We are offering one lucky reader the chance to attend the Assist Conference for free. Yes that is right – a whole day of fantastic training specifically for assistants – completely for free! The conference is taking place on Friday 27th February 2015 at the Proud Archivist, London.

2015 171

2015 Forms Training Management 171

Speaker: Chandra McCormack, CPA, MBA, NACD.DC

Technical degrees might open doors—but it’s the soft skills that keep them open. In the face of disruption, evolving workplace dynamics, and rising expectations of leadership, soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and presence have become core business essentials—not nice-to-haves. Inspired by stories from her father coupled with her own career journey, seasoned executive Chandra McCormack breaks down how to lead with impact, connect with purpose, and cultivate a workplace cult

Skills