Office Organization Success

JUNE 30, 2012

How to opt in to your email list should be a relatively easy process for a new subscriber. However, one of the biggest frustrations when running a double opt-in email list is that even though you initially get a lot of people signing up to your list, the number of people who actually confirm their opt-in is quite small. And unless they do confirm their opt-in you CANNOT send them emails, which is why this is so frustrating for many business owners!

Email 178

Email Social Media Management UPS 178

The Small Business Blog

JUNE 19, 2012

There are over 169,000 independent retail businesses in the UK, equating to 92% of all retail businesses. From fashion boutiques and art galleries to convenience shops and DIY stores, independent retailers form a valuable and treasured part of many communities. They also form an integral part of local economies and contribute greatly to local employment.

Forms 173

Forms 173

Eco-Office Gals

JUNE 6, 2012

Most people don’t know, but the Internet is a major contributor to Global Warming. How so? The Internet is really just a bunch of interconnected computers, and those computers need energy, a lot of energy. Sadly, most of the energy used to power all those computers comes from the burning of coal and other fossil fuels. In fact according the GreenPeace.org, the Internet produces the same amount of CO2 as the world wide airline industry.

Carbon Footprint 172

Carbon Footprint Purchasing Environment 172

Job Advice Blog

JUNE 17, 2012

The law says employers are not permitted to discriminate because they deem someone too old, yet employers do so every single day. How can they get away with it? The answer is, By thinking it but never talking about it or documenting it. When questioned, their answer is, It was not a good fit. There [.].

Interviewing 171

Interviewing Skills 171

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

Eat Your Career

JUNE 4, 2012

Here’s something that happens to me at least several times a month: I get an email from a blog reader. It usually contains a very long, very elaborate description of his or her career problem. And then, at the very end, the person says something along the lines of, “What do you think I should do? Oh, and by the way, I can’t afford to pay you.”. Every time I read this kind of message, I’m conflicted.

Budget 166

Budget Stress Facebook Email 166

Virtual Moxie

JUNE 12, 2012

When you're new, whether to being a Virtual Assistant, or to a type of work, system, or process, you'll often hear people saying, "Fake it till ya make it!" as a way to help you jump in with both feet. That's not unwise, yet.if you're going to fake anything, make sure that its attitude, and confidence, rather than know-how:faking know-how is likely to get you into hot water, but a can-do attitude mixed with serious confidence can get you much further along than anything else.

Confidence 164

Confidence 164

The Small Business Blog

JUNE 21, 2012

Almost every business should sell products and services online. The truth is most don’t, because it is expensive and/or complicated to open an online shop for the non-geeks amongst us. Yesterday, WinWeb launched its new eShop App, which makes it incredibly easy, fast and cost-effective to set up your shop online.

Expenses 170

Expenses UPS 170

Eco-Office Gals

JUNE 15, 2012

Once upon a time, the only way to go green at the office was to employ paperless practices and energy-conscious efforts. Although businesses across the country use these green practices and more to make a lighter impact on the environment, eco-friendly individuals and businesses can now take the task of keeping our Earth healthy to the next level. How?

2013 165

2013 2012 2006 Environment 165

Job Advice Blog

JUNE 21, 2012

I want to preface this by stating that I have been a practicing career coach for six years, during which time I have helped almost 400 job seekers. Every case is unique because no two circumstances are alike, but ultimately there is a lot of commonality between job seekers. Finding a job, especially in today’s [.].

Resume 164

Resume Interviewing Skills 164

Office Dynamics

JUNE 28, 2012

I have several tips I can offer on this subject, but here are the top 5. If you make any one of these a habit, you will see an increase in your productivity. FOCUS! This is the most important of all 5. In a world where people think multi-tasking is a valued skill, it isn’t. Research proves being focused will move you faster than any other habit. Next is to focus on your “A” priority items.

Management 150

Management Administrative Professionals Training Email 150

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.

Finance

Virtual Moxie

JUNE 18, 2012

I was reading the other day, when my eye caught this headline: Mobile Tech Adds to Business Owners' Hours … and Productivity. I clicked through to read the post, and was struck by what I read. Read it if you like, or just look at the infographic. Although the sample surveyed was very small, and I have no context for how much we were all doing five years ago (maybe we took too MUCH vacation and underworked?

ASAP 151

ASAP Email Phones Facebook 151

Small Business Labs

JUNE 19, 2012

Marketing Charts - one of our favorite sites - has an interesting post on tablet computers at work.  It covers an IDG Connect study showing that 71% of 3000 IT and business professionals they recently surveyed owned tablets.   And most of those folks, roughly 3 out of 5, use their tablet daily for work. Also, as the chart below from Marketing Charts shows, only 8% don't use their tablet for work.    The other interesting finding from the study is Android tablets

Purchasing 145

Purchasing AT&T 145

The Small Business Blog

JUNE 18, 2012

Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Ensure that all members of the team are equipped with the right technology to make the team a success.

Management 168

Management Equipment 168

Eco-Office Gals

JUNE 12, 2012

There’s a lot of big ideas for how to make an office greener, from uploading your office onto the cloud to biking your way to work. With all the outlets you have for making a greener office, there may be a (literal) outlet you’re overlooking. Your surge protector. It’s probably better known as that hunk of plastic you plug any of a thousand devices into.

Management 165

Management Equipment Customer Service AT&T 165

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

Finance

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 11, 2012

5 Advantages of a To-Do List. One of the fundamental personal-organizer tools is the list of things you need to get done daily. It consolidates all your tasks in one place. From there you can prioritize them and tackle the important ones first. There are 5 key advantages to maintaining a to-do list: 1) A to-do list doesn’t forget. Your brain is not the most efficient memory tool and will only trust systems that it knows works.

Calendars 143

Calendars Phones UPS 143

Stephanie LH Calahan

JUNE 29, 2012

The other day I received a question in my group: I'd like to consider virtual assistants or maybe a personal assistant. Who has had luck with these.are some better than others? Thanks, Carol from Nebraska. Knowing how to build your team is a critical choice. The other day, I shared some thoughts on different types of people that you could bring into your powerhouse, kick-butt team.

Interviewing 142

Interviewing Filing Email Skills 142

Productivity Bits

JUNE 22, 2012

The Getting Things Done productivity system is the most successful of its kind in this decade. One reason is its being not dependent to particular platform or tool. GTD is a philosophical approach to productivity. You can practically apply its principles to any industry or domain. We’re all witnesses to the numerous successful implementation of GTD around us.

Lifestyle 142

Lifestyle UPS 142

Small Business Labs

JUNE 18, 2012

Showrooming is the trend towards shoppers visiting stores to see a product, but then buying it online or from some other store.  The reason they go elsewhere is usually price and they often use their smartphones to compare prices. There's been a number of recent stories on showrooming with varying points of view of it's impact. CNN's Will Showrooming Kill Businesses takes the view the trend is quite damaging to brick and mortar stores.

Social Media 145

Social Media Purchasing 145

Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar

Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.

Confidence

The Small Business Blog

JUNE 20, 2012

Our business environment is changing fast, often faster than we think. How do you meet this challenge – one year your are market leader and the next year you are market follower, one year you have plenty of business, the next you are struggling?

Environment 168

Environment 168

Eco-Office Gals

JUNE 19, 2012

If your office needs a “green makeover”, it can be difficult just knowing where to start. With so many eco-friendly products on the market, the choices can be overwhelming. To cut through the noise, I’ve chosen three of my favorite eco-friendly office products. These items are must-haves and can help get you started on your path to a greener work environment.

Environment 162

Environment AT&T UPS 162

Tips From T. Marie

JUNE 21, 2012

Google+ vs Facebook? I’m currently in the process of creating a Learning Module on social media for Virtual Assistant Survival School , so the infographic to the left immediately grabbed my attention yesterday. On a quick glance, the numbers and statistics might cause you to wonder if hanging out on Google + is worth your time. Before you abandon your Circles take a closer look at the numbers and the two social networks.

Google 142

Google Facebook Social Media 2005 142

Virtual Moxie

JUNE 14, 2012

To survive, and more importantly, to thrive in business long term, you can’t be someone who’s shaken by every little bump in the road. “Whoop-dee-doos” (as my husband calls them) don’t last forever, and they don’t come so frequently as to be the norm. So when you run into one, instead of going to a place of upset, be a person who takes care of it, laughs it off, and gets on quickly to something better. .

140

140

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

Stephanie LH Calahan

JUNE 27, 2012

I'm fortunate to work with amazing people that are doing rock star work with their clients.  As a result, their businesses are growing beyond what they can accomplish themselves. When I first talk with them, I hear that they are thrilled that their business is going great, but they are woried that they are losing the very balance that they wanted to have - the reason they started their business in the first place.

Phones 136

Phones Lifestyle Skills Management 136

Small Business Labs

JUNE 4, 2012

Emergent Research  (that's us) just kicked off a new project on the economic impact of food trucks in San Francisco.   On the off chance you haven't noticed, the food truck phenomenon has taken the nation by storm.  And while there are no firm national numbers on the size and scope of the industry, it's clear the segment is experiencing rapid growth.  But despite this growth, little is known about the economic impact the food truck industry has on local

Interviewing 143

Interviewing Expenses AT&T Phones 143

The Small Business Blog

JUNE 10, 2012

You will have friends and family who run a micro business, you may do so yourself or you are thinking about it. What do you think about these businesses and their owners? Do you think their businesses are a joke? IMO, most of the so called economy and business elite (i.e.

168

168

Eco-Office Gals

JUNE 20, 2012

In today’s society, more people are starting to become aware of the importance of reducing their impact on the environment. In the business world, there are a number of different mobile Web tools that can help your business be more eco-friendly. Here are a few of the tools that you should consider using. Mobile CRM . Many businesses are starting to turn to mobile CRM solutions to interact with their customers.

Google Docs 158

Google Docs Fax Google Environment 158

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

Practically Perfect PA

JUNE 8, 2012

I was having a look through my CV recently, just adding a few bits and bobs and generally updating it and I noticed I tell my would-be employer how well I communicate both effectively and efficiently. As I was reading this I thought to myself, ‘what does that actually mean?’ and then it occurred to me that if I wasn’t sure then I doubt any potential employer would be!

Twitter 135

Twitter Email Skills Forms 135

Virtual Moxie

JUNE 5, 2012

I don't know about you, but when I stop to think about it, there are many times when the reasons why I think I'm doing something aren't the real or true reasons. Currently, that plays out in one area of my world, and I want to change it, so when I find myself acting on auto-pilot , I have to stop and get to the source of what's going on. And it reminds me that, as adults, we probably all act without really thinking, or without really considering our true reasons, more times than we're even aware

UPS 138

UPS 138

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 25, 2012

David Allen says, regardless of task size, the human brain goes through a Natural Planning Model. This is the process we use daily to organize regular tasks: e.g., getting dressed or driving to work. We go ahead and complete them without much thought. We use the part of our brain that is conditioned for this natural type of planning. Allen goes on to say, this is an ideal model for planning projects.

Management 131

Management 131

Small Business Labs

JUNE 13, 2012

The rise of women is a topic we often write about.  The basics of this trend are that women are playing increasingly important roles in business, government and society.   The trend holds true for small business ownership and especially women as independent workers. Large corporations are starting to pick up on this trend, so I wasn't surprised to see Lincoln Financial pushing the idea that women are Chief Life Officers in their advertising.

UPS 142

UPS 142

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