Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Pin It. As we all know writing minutes is a basic skill for assistants and we have probably written more over the years than Stephen King has writing novels. I had a job a few years back that provided support for twelve Committees who had four meetings a year, which meant I was writing a set of minutes practically every week. As you can imagine I got quite good at bashing out minutes without much thought behind them but no matter how easy I found writing the minutes the process still took foreve

Agenda 218

Agenda Assertiveness Skills Stress 218

Eat Your Career

OCTOBER 18, 2012

What do you do when someone else takes credit for your work? It’s a common problem—one often exaggerated and made light of in sitcoms—and yet, in the real world, it can lead to some pretty serious career damage if not handled properly. The situation is ugly and unfair, and it usually goes something like this: You get the blame when things go wrong and they get the credit when things go right.

Assertiveness 209

Assertiveness Promotion Facebook Email 209

Virtual Moxie

OCTOBER 22, 2012

In a conversation I had yesterday with a group of my Ultimate VA members at AssistU , we talked about when clients decide to move on, stating money problems as their issue. There was a fairly general consensus that they (the VAs) tend to say things to themselves like, “What could I have done to prevent this for them? Could I have done something better, or differently?

Self Esteem 199

Self Esteem Interviewing 199

Stephanie LH Calahan

OCTOBER 31, 2012

We've known for years that our body language can communicate without. words and affect how others see us. We know that as non-verbal communication. However, did you know that your. body language may also change how you see yourself? Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved Wonder Woman.  I'd dress up like her even when it wasn't Halloween.

Networking 198

Networking AT&T Email Learning 198

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

Payroll

Office Organization Success

OCTOBER 13, 2012

This article was inspired by a conversation I had today with a client; in fact this isn’t the first time I’ve had a similar conversation with clients, so I thought I’d share my response to them with you. This client basically said to me, “Tracey, please tell me I don’t have to send a weekly ezine!”. Note: An ezine is another name for a newsletter or electronic newsletter.

Email 197

Email UPS Management 197

The Small Business Blog

OCTOBER 22, 2012

Do keep up. I’m sorry it has been a couple of weeks since my last effervescent erudition. I thought it best to go into hiding for a little while – two reasons.

Mentoring 197

Mentoring UPS 197

Eat Your Career

OCTOBER 18, 2012

I once read an interesting statistic about how work effects overall life happiness. It basically said that a good job won’t make you happy, but a bad job will make you unhappy. I think this says a lot about how we view jobs. If we hate our work, that frustration and annoyance rules our lives. If we like it, it sometimes goes unnoticed. Think about all the people who quit their jobs thinking that it’s just work that’s bringing them down – only to find that they’re just as unhappy in another job.

PDF 202

PDF Skills Facebook Stress 202

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 26, 2012

In the latest issue of the Superman comic book , Clark Kent quits his job at the Daily Planet and is becoming a freelancer. Clark quits because the Daily Planet is acquired by a media conglomerate that cares more about entertainment than hard news. Kent, who sees his job as an extension of his duties as Superman, doesn't like this. In a melodramatic outburst in the newsroom he says: "the Daily Planet  no longer stands for the principles of truth, justice and the American way."

Policies 183

Policies AT&T 183

Stephanie LH Calahan

OCTOBER 23, 2012

As solo-entrepreneurs, we have a lot of stuff that we are supposed to write for our business >> blog posts, articles, web site content, Facebook posts, LinkedIn profiles, ezines, etc. (I'm exhausted just thinking about it.) Have you also noticed that all this writing doesn't usually make you much -- if any -- money? I had the blessing to meet my friend, Madison Avenue copywriter, marketing strategist and all-around creative superstar Lisa Rothstein about a year ago.

2012 197

2012 Agencies AT&T Facebook 197

Virtual Moxie

OCTOBER 1, 2012

Last week, I sat down to create a list of some of the business lessons I've learned in my 15 years in business for myself. When the 30th one rolled out of my head, I decided to break the post into two pieces. This is the second, and you can read the first here. 16. Communication needs to be easy. I can't stress enough how important I've found this to be--especially with people closest to you in your business.

Learning 178

Learning Email Phones Mentoring 178

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

OCTOBER 10, 2012

Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. As a small business, you have the opportunity and freedom to innovate with a lot less restrictions than many of your larger rivals.

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Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Pin It. Long gone are the days our executive managers fly all over the world attending an hour’s meeting here or there. Don’t get me wrong they still travel for Board meetings and client engagement but they don’t get on a flight simply because there are no alternatives to getting everyone together. With the introduction of virtual meetings and teleconferencing people can communicate with each other in different time zones and locations very easily and a great deal cheaper than the c

Time Zones 188

Time Zones Equipment Expenses Negotiating 188

Eat Your Career

OCTOBER 11, 2012

During a recent free coaching call , one individual asked the following question: “I’ve been employed at the same company for over 10 years. I feel secure in my position but, with all the turmoil in the economy, I guess anything could happen. How can I make sure I’m staying competitive?”. What a great question! I love this kind of proactive thinking.

Networking 195

Networking Skills Negotiating Budget 195

Eco-Office Gals

OCTOBER 12, 2012

The recent buzz about global climate change has spurred a number of other changes in the world. Green consciousness and eco-friendly movements are gaining more momentum every day, manifesting themselves in everything from recycling to organic produce. Even the world of marketing has changed. In the past, marketing was all about getting the best space on paper–magazine ads, newspaper pages, colossal billboards.

Carbon Footprint 175

Carbon Footprint Business Cards Phones Lifestyle 175

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Management

Stephanie LH Calahan

OCTOBER 1, 2012

We've all heard the phrase, "The Grass is Greener on the Other Side."  It is a phrase that has been used for years to describe how the average person looks at someone else's life or another situation and thinks it is better than their own. Is the grass greener on the other side? The other day I was listening to the radio and caught Justin Bieber's latest hit right when these lyrics were sung: "But the grass ain't always greener on the other side, It's green

AT&T 188

AT&T 188

Small Business Labs

OCTOBER 19, 2012

Regular readers know we love pet trends, especially when they relate to the humanization of pets. According to an article in Time Magazine "American consumers are expected to collectively spend $370 million on pet costumes this Halloween. That’s $70 million more than last year, and a 40% increase compared to 2010. The article goes on to point out that 62% of American homes have pets.  Only about 34% of American households have children.

2010 168

2010 UPS 168

The Small Business Blog

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Don’t be afraid to display your credentials prominently.

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Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Pin It. Long gone are the days our executive managers fly all over the world attending an hour’s meeting here or there. Don’t get me wrong they still travel for Board meetings and client engagement but they don’t get on a flight simply because there are no alternatives to getting everyone together. With the introduction of virtual meetings and teleconferencing people can communicate with each other in different time zones and locations very easily and a great deal cheaper than the c

Time Zones 178

Time Zones Equipment Expenses Negotiating 178

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Sharing your authentic self in a virtual interview can be an unwanted challenge. How do you break through the digital barrier when conducting a virtual interview and share your exceptional self? Think in unconventional ways to elevate the virtual interviewing experience.

Interviewing

Eat Your Career

OCTOBER 25, 2012

We’ve all had coworkers who just rub us the wrong way. Maybe they have some annoying habit that gets under your skin. Maybe they don’t follow the same social “rules” you follow. Maybe they’re just different. Annoying or not, you still have to work with these people. Here are some simple tips to help you deal. Look Inward. Did you know the things that irritate you the most in the others are usually the same qualities you don’t like in yourself?

Cubicle 174

Cubicle Holidays Facebook Stress 174

Job Advice Blog

OCTOBER 29, 2012

For both genders, anxiety before the interview may be present, but studies show that women handle it better. Women adapt more proactively than men do. Women seek social support from colleagues and friends more than men do. And women are more prone to do mock interviews with those colleagues and friends more than men are. [.].

Interviewing 167

Interviewing Negotiating Salary Skills 167

Stephanie LH Calahan

OCTOBER 15, 2012

I work with solo entrepreneurs and small business owners who are really amazing at what they do and have achieved great success in their business but. have done so at the expense of their personal freedom or well-being and happiness, which makes them feel over-worked and out of balance; or. are limited in terms of growth as their business lacks scalability.  The visual I always seem to come back to is a hamster wheel.  I remember watching my brother's hamsters when I was young.&#

AT&T 183

AT&T Expenses Health Learning 183

Eco-Office Gals

OCTOBER 19, 2012

All of us have had moments when we’ve looked into our closets and said, “I have nothing to wear” and we weren’t being dramatic. Sometimes, the reality is that while we do have things hanging up, we don’t always have just what we need. Take an office wardrobe, for instance. If you’ve recently landed a new job, or you’ve lost some weight or you’re looking to do a bit of “upgrading” for the upcoming season, and if you’re someone who

Clothes 165

Clothes Purchasing AT&T Forms 165

Advertiser: Aggregage

New vaccine mandates and testing policies will affect employers with more than 100 workers. Get Paycor’s free, customizable vaccination policy template to communicate critical details and new requirements to your employees. Get Paycor’s Template today!

Policies

The Small Business Blog

OCTOBER 11, 2012

We, WinWeb, have had multiple job offers on our website for months and months, not a single CV has hit our inbox! Why is that, are unemployed lazy? As a small business owner I don’t want to work with agencies as they charge a lot of money for very little service.

Agencies 168

Agencies 168

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Last week I wrote a blog on minute taking during meetings. It provided quite popular so I thought I’d write a little something on working with Committees in general. The minutes are the end product of a meeting but how do we ensure the meeting itself is well organised, productive and attended by the right people? I’ve worked with quite a few Boards and Committees over the years and have organised some worthwhile meetings and also some useless time wasting meetings so I understand the balance nee

Management 170

Management Agenda Meeting Planning Calendars 170

Eat Your Career

OCTOBER 11, 2012

There’s an old saying: “Attitude is everything”. And it’s really true. Did you know that your perspective can actually change your reality? After all, your attitude shows up everywhere: In your words, your tone of voice, even your physical look. And it also guides your actions. Your attitude can certainly impact the way others view you – which, of course, impacts the way they treat you and the opportunities that come your way.

Gossip 165

Gossip PDF Skills Confidence 165

Virtual Moxie

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Truly, you are likely far more magnificent than you give yourself credit for being. And giving yourself more credit is one huge step you can take in the direction of banishing that fear you have. Focus on what you want, and what you hope for. Walk toward that. Keep your eyes on that. Make every action about that. And trust that which matters—which will never be your fears.

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Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

Collaborate

Stephanie LH Calahan

OCTOBER 11, 2012

The other day I was talking to Kenneth Manesse Sr. and he shared a few resources that I thought you would love to see: Which Google Plus Features Most Affect Search Rankings. and. How to Show Your Author Photo in Google Search Results. Here is an example of what searches now display when you find a post I wrote:   I was shocked at how simple it was to get my picture showing in the search results, using the steps outlined.

Google 181

Google 181

Eco-Office Gals

OCTOBER 19, 2012

As you’ve been doing more and more research about making your world a more eco-friendly place, you’ve probably come across some articles on how to make your office “green”—no, not (necessarily) green in color, but things that you can do to improve the air quality and energy efficiency of your workplace environment. Some of the information that you’ve come across may have seemed a bit overwhelming, though.

Budget 162

Budget Health Purchasing Environment 162

The Small Business Blog

OCTOBER 9, 2012

Gloomy news everywhere, apparently the world economy is heading for another recession, the Euro leders still can’t get it together, more austerity on the way and so on… How can a SME/SMB survive in these circumstances? Answer: ‘Mafia Offer – An offer a customer can’t refuse!

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Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Last week I wrote a blog on minute taking during meetings. It provided quite popular so I thought I’d write a little something on working with Committees in general. The minutes are the end product of a meeting but how do we ensure the meeting itself is well organised, productive and attended by the right people? I’ve worked with quite a few Boards and Committees over the years and have organised some worthwhile meetings and also some useless time wasting meetings so I understand the balance nee

Management 170

Management Agenda Meeting Planning Calendars 170

Speaker: Tim Buteyn

Let's set the scene: you’ve identified a critical performance gap in your organization and need to close that gap. A colleague suggests training, but you suspect there’s something going on that training can’t address. How can you determine if training is the right solution before you commit your budget and resources to a new training program? In this webinar, you will learn how to determine if training is the right solution using the Behavior Engineering Model.

Training