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'I have been planning to write a blog post around the pros and cons of the role for a while. I wanted to be totally honest but I thought well I can only really base the pros and cons of the role on my perspective and what I have experienced over the years and although I can share plenty of examples I might be limiting the picture somewhat. So I recently asked my lovely readers to complete a survey on the blog and also asked a few questions around the assistant profession itself and two such qu
'How Technology Wreaks the Middle Class covers the growing concern that automation and technology is replacing many middle class jobs. Key quote: The multi-trillionfold decline in the cost of computing since the 1970s has created enormous incentives for employers to substitute increasingly cheap and capable computers for expensive labor.
'It might seem too early for your small business to start planning for the festive period, but larger companies certainly don’t think this is the case. If you walk into any of the major supermarkets this weekend you will see that they have a lot of their Xmas stock out already, so small businesses should… Read the full article here: Is your business ready for Christmas?
'There is more to launching a product or program to your community simply than sending out an email and hoping people will buy! It’s about creating a whole product/program launch system so that you can get maximum sales for your brand-new offering. Every business owner is excited to launch a new product or program and dreams of seeing “sold out” on their website.
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
'One of the concepts I introduced in the late 90s that''s now commonly accepted in the. Virtual Assistance industry is that of only working in long-term and. collaborative partnerships with clients. When asked what they think it means to work in partnership with a client, VAs often tell me that it refers to "being equals" in the relationship. And while equality certainly is a big piece of what has to be present in a. partnership, the element I think is often missing is one of. equity --where bot
'The post 7 Steps You Can Take When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Traditionally, Canada does not place well in the Olympic Summer Games. (The winter games is a better story.) Canadian athletes competing often surpass “personal best” results or break Canadian records for their sport. However, that’s not always good enough on the world stage.
'With The Office* Show coming up in a few weeks I’ve been thinking about my networking plan for the few days that I am there. Earlier this year I wrote a post on how assistants can get the most out of attending events. It was quite a detailed post about my networking experiences so do check it out if you are going to any events this year. In the post I mentioned that I always come prepared with a list of networking questions in my head that I have now memorised and can whip out in case the
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'With The Office* Show coming up in a few weeks I’ve been thinking about my networking plan for the few days that I am there. Earlier this year I wrote a post on how assistants can get the most out of attending events. It was quite a detailed post about my networking experiences so do check it out if you are going to any events this year. In the post I mentioned that I always come prepared with a list of networking questions in my head that I have now memorised and can whip out in case the
'What you don’t know could hurt you! Perfect example: Many job seekers have no idea that resumes submitted online are typically filtered through a software system before a human being ever sees them. That means if your resume isn’t formatted correctly, it could be kicked out before any real person has a chance to review it. According to Forbes, as much as 75% of qualified applicants are getting lost in these systems!
'Content marketing is a low-cost and effective way of spreading the message about your business online. If you don’t have a budget to promote your small or micro business, it is still possible to attract an audience by providing content that people will want to read and share with friends. Here are our Top 5… Read the full article here: Top 5 Tips for Content Marketing on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
'Mike Song, best selling author of The Hamster Revolution, zipped to the stage and showed us the FASTEST way to get more done with Zip! Tips for Outlook, iPad, iPhone, Android, Google and more. Mike told us that energy is contagious. He said we should analyze where we spend our time. Much of it interfaces with technology, so the more we are productive in our use of technology the more efficient we''ll be and the more we''ll be able to do.
'The world is become more eco-friendly and green, but it can be hard for you as an entrepreneur to motivate individuals to join the movement. In the same way that you can motivate employees with incentives for good work or attendance, you can do the same with green actions by rewarding this Earth positive activity. Here are some great ideas on incentives that you can use to promote green activity with your employees: Alternative Transportation Bonuses.
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.
'Good article from JWT Intelligence on smart objects. These are objects that have been enhanced by the addition of computers of some kind. A good example from the article is the smart beer bottle from Heineken. The bottle has a set of music detecting sensors and LED lights. The bottle flashes to the beat of music. The reason I like this example is if beer bottles are becoming embedded with computer chips and sensors then it means pretty much everything will.
'Over the last few weeks I have been developing a twitter strategy for one of my company’s clients. They are an online events business and we are helping them with their marketing so I have been learning about hybrid and online events. I already know how to market via social media, I understand the world of events and I can create content fairly easily but prior to. oh I don’t know… a few weeks ago I knew very little about hybrid events.
'Consulting with clients can be a scary thing for some Virtual Assistants. I think that’s, in part, because that activity is a responsibility of the company’s owner, and although VAs understand that they own their own companies, for many, it’s most comfortable when in the role of the technician (those who do the work). On top of that, most VAs have far more professional experience being interviewed for jobs, than consulting with others in a relationship of equality, so it’s a new experience, and
'If you have ever been frustrated by the level of productivity in your small business, simply altering some of your rules and regulations could be the key to fostering a more productive work environment for your staff in the future. Allowing ten minutes breaks or making social media and music available in the office are… Read the full article here: Infographic: Productive Offices on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
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.
'Technological innovation has become the driving force behind mass production in the manufacturing industry, making assembly-line work almost obsolete in the process. With corporate policy increasingly focused on productivity, many administrative professionals are beginning to wonder if they''re next in line for a pink slip. Will admin jobs be superseded by gadgetry, or will businesses continue to incorporate administrative assistants?
'We’ve long hailed the benefits of going paperless as a way to decrease your company’s carbon footprint. In addition to using less paper (requiring less deforestation), it saves your company money. Obviously you won’t need to buy paper anymore. Beyond that expense you’ll also save money on not buying printers, copiers, fax machines (and fax lines) and a boatload of toner.
'Restaurant chain Chili's is rolling out table top tablet computers to most of their 1200 locations after a successful test run earlier this year. The goal, according to the company, isn't to replace their human wait staff. It's to get diners to spend more per visit. According to a Business Week article : "No, it’s not an effort to replace wait staff with machines and cut down on labor costs, insists Nicole Cochran, senior director of marketing at Chili’s.
'Quite often I am asked which courses I would recommend for assistants that are just starting in the profession and want to undertake some training to increase their skills and help them move up the career ladder. I always say that it is extremely important for assistants to attend training courses throughout the year. We have a shed load of skills that have to be kept up to date so that we can do our job effectively.
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.
'The post 8 Ways to Improve Your Attitude appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. No matter how you define success, a proper attitude plays a key role in reaching that success. I know people who blame their lack of success on a lack of education. I know educated people who blame their lack of success on circumstances. Regardless of the personal resources you have-education, skills, money, etc.
'” A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” This week’s quote is by Sir Francis Bacon, the English philosopher, from one of his essays in the early 17th century. His words still ring true 400 years later for small business owners everywhere – you will not make a success of your business… Read the full article here: Quote of the Week: Opportunity on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
'Problems. Ugh! Despite our best efforts as administrative assistants, problems pepper our work week. They are simply part of the mix. It’s what we do when we encounter problems, and how we respond to a problem, that separates administrative assistants and executive assistants to a sphere of outstanding performance. Problem solving is about what happens in your brain and heart – it’s a mixture of experience, creative thinking, and the external environment: your work network, av
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.
'Last week we had the opportunity to lead a think tank session on the future of accounting at the Intuit Summit. This event was hosted by Intuit and attended by about 40 leading accounting profession practitioners, industry analysts and media. The session was part of a broader research project we're conducting with Intuit updating the Future of the Accounting Profession study that was released in early 2011.
'I was recently discussing some of the harder areas of the role with a fellow EA. She mentioned that she was never 100% sure what her boss expected of her and whether or not she was delivering. I must admit I was quite shocked that such an experienced assistant would struggle with expectations but the more I thought about it the more I realised that assistants hold themselves to very high standards so most of us will wonder if we are exceeding expectations at some point in our career.
'Moxie, at its core, has nothing to do with fear. Moxie really is all. about courage, and having moxie is about belief in oneself, and one''s. abilities above all else. Integral to everything moxie-related is. integrity; the state of being whole and right with oneself. Sometimes people act boldly, and what they do looks like Moxie. But. when that energy is used out of fear or mean-spiritedness, or a lack of. self-confidence, that''s not moxie, that''s just crap.
'In my last post I talked about the Business Owner Blind Spot and argued that personal development had to be an integral part of being a business owner. But the term personal development doesn’t sit well with many business people; to them it sits with the self-help books in Waterstones and WHSmith. Professional development is… Read the full article here: Personal or Professional Development on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.
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.
'Dear Monday Motivators, Well, I’m happy to say our big annual conference for administrative excellence was successful. If you missed it, we’ll soon have a way you can still view the event. Details will be coming soon! We had a full 5 days of being with fantastic people from all over the country. I always find it interesting to meet new people.
'There’s a lot of excitement around the Product Launch Training starting tomorrow, but I noticed you haven’t yet registered for it. Either your product launch campaigns are going great so you have no need for a step-by-step, systemized approach to creating a successful product launch campaign. Or maybe you have a couple of questions about the training.
'The post The Principle Components of Communication appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Understanding the basic components of communication can help you become a better communicator. Aristotle outlined the basic model of communication in 336 B.C. Whereas Aristotle viewed rhetoric as an art, we tend to see it now more as an experience. The three basic components are not separate and distinct entities.
'So you’ve written the minutes from last week’s board meeting, you’ve researched all of the delegates attending your manager’s next networking event, you’ve formatted a dozen reports, filed a handful of invoices, contacted suppliers for your next stationery order, sent fifty emails, updated your manager’s diary for the week ahead oh and of course arranged their travel for a trip to the States… All of this in a day and then your manager asks if you know a
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