March, 2014

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How to remember those random requests

Practically Perfect PA

'I was watching The Devil Wears Prada the other day and although it is fictional I must say the scenes between Miranda Priestly and her assistants did have a grain of truth to them. This piece of dialogue seemed particularly realistic: Miranda: Tell Simone I’m not going to approve that girl that she sent me for the Brazilian layout. I asked for clean, athletic, smiling.

Calendars 212
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The Administrative Professional: A Vital, Yet Overlooked Contributor

Office Dynamics

'At Office Dynamics International, We Passionately Believe. The administrative role is a noble calling. In a “Career of Choice” mentality. “Falling into a job” will never compare to “falling in love with your career.”. A sophisticated, modern executive assistant is an extension of the executive. Administrative professionals are strategic partners in business success.

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The Psychological Effects of Cleanliness in the Workplace

Eco-Office Gals

'The physical and psychological effects of an unhygienic workplace can be debilitating for staff and visitors. The negative impact is gradual, but it is inevitable. If you want clients to respect your business, and your staff to confidently approach their duties with high morale, you need to ensure your workplace is clean and hygienic. The psychological effects of an unhygienic and cluttered workspace can be debilitating for those required to inhabit the environment for the better part of their

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From 20th Century Jobs to 21st Century Work

Small Business Labs

'The Forbes article Hack Work To Combine Peak Performance and Personal Purpose has a fascinating chart that compares 20th century jobs with 21st century work.   Developed by future of work expert Ayelit Baron , the chart (shown below) nicely summarizes many of the shifts and trends we follow.   According to the article the key shift is towards self-management.  Key quote: If you look closely, one common element emerges: rather than trying to orchestrate work and process flow to

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Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

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.

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Top 5 Tips for Running a Business on the Side

The Small Business Blog

'Not all of us have the luxury of being able to spend their whole working week on their business. A large number of entrepreneurs only have the time to run their micro biz after they have done a full day of work already or at the weekend. This weeks tips column contains our Top 5… Read the full article here: Top 5 Tips for Running a Business on the Side on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

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7 Ways to Make Your Mornings a Productive Start

Productivity Bits

'Photo courtesy of mtwomenslifestyle.com Mornings aren’t that easy for most people. Morning means having to wake up early, do a routine, and deal with traffic on the way to work or someplace else. These things can surely make people cranky and hate mornings, which affect their demeanor in doing important tasks for the day. Your morning doesn’t have to be a bad start.

AT&T 188

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5 Tips for Turbocharging Your Morning Routine

Office Dynamics

'Originally Posted by Abby Welch on March 3, 2014 at 5:30 AM at Accountemps Blog (republished with permission.). Find Abby on: Twitter. My morning routine at work starts with a cup (or two) of Joe and perusing my email inbox. And it seems I’m in good company. According to an Accountemps survey, 58 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) said reading email is the first thing they do at the office.

2014 203
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Life lessons from a dog

Ian's Messy Desk

'The post Life lessons from a dog appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. There’s lots we can learn from a dog about living a good life. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy-ride. Get the most out of the experience of fresh air and wind in your face. When family members come home, always run to greet them. Be obedient; when it’s in your best interest.

Learning 167
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Video Conferencing With Dogs

Small Business Labs

'A startup company, PetChatz , is about to release a video conferencing system that allows remote dog owners to video chat with their dogs. It also allows the dog owner to remotely release treats and scents. But the best part is the dog can call their owner by barking at the system.   This triggers an alert that goes to an app on the owner's smartphone, tablet or PC.   I'm seriously looking forward to the day when someone says to me "sorry, I've got to take this call.

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How much is anyone worth? How much are you worth?

The Small Business Blog

'With apologies to all of you who have no interest in football: did Wayne Rooney justify his £300,000 per week pay check with one kick of the ball? If you didn’t see it you can by clicking here. Why is this relevant in a blog about personal effectiveness for small business owners? Because it gets… Read the full article here: How much is anyone worth?

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Mastering Remote Onboarding: Proven Strategies for Seamless New Hire Integration

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.

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How to Choose When You Fear Being Imperfect, or That You Will Choose Badly

Virtual Moxie

'Jane was working with me on her marketing. She needed to do some research, choosing someone to send a letter to. She found several people she thought would be appropriate, but really struggled and struggled with how to choose between them. Finally, after a week of being unable to decide, she asked me how to make the choice. My reply to her was: Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. or.

Mentoring 157
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How exactly is the assistant role diversifying?

Practically Perfect PA

'So the topic of diversification has been discussed quite widely within the assistant industry for a number of years now. I think the conversation started around the time of the credit crunch. There were lots of scary statistics which showed many companies were reducing their administrative and support staff. At the time many assistants were being made redundant along with their managers and departments.

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BIG ENERGY: Passion Creates Energy

Office Dynamics

'Hello Monday Motivators! I am so excited to write this Monday Motivator because today is my dad’s 89 th birthday and because my dad is the epitome of passion that creates energy and longevity. I did not plan for today’s topic to fall on his birthday. I hadn’t even noticed the connection until just now—when getting ready to write you. Let me tell you about my dad because I have learned so much from observing his life and so can you.

Finance 164
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Not Sure Where To Start When It Comes To Setting Up Your Online Systems?

Office Organization Success

'I really thought we’d seen the back of the snow and cold weather … but alas, this week we got hit with another snow storm! Still, that is one of the advantages of working from home … I don’t need to go out in it to get my work done. Lots of client work again this week. A few of the projects I’ve been working on: Planning and organizing a telesummit.

UPS 152
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Unlock Your Productivity: Simple Steps for Every Professional

Unlock your full potential with our comprehensive guide on productivity. This detailed resource explores the three fundamental pillars of effective task management: Todo List Mastery, Time Management, and Habit Optimization. Learn to capture and prioritize your tasks effectively, schedule them using proven strategies like the Pomodoro Technique, and maintain your productivity through consistent habit tracking.

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Cities, Freelancers and the Paradox of Place

Small Business Labs

'The Paradox of Place is one of the more interesting trends we follow. The paradox is even though the Internet and connective technologies has made working remotely easier than ever, people and companies are increasingly clustering together in fewer, more valuable locations. What's happening San Francisco is an obvious example. There's almost a land grab frenzy of companies and people moving into the city.

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Infographic: Big Data

The Small Business Blog

'Big Data is increasingly having an impact on all of our lives. As the amount of data that is being generated continues to expand exponentially, the types of things that we can do with all that information also changes and evolves. There are so many sources of data nowadays that entire industries and brand new… Read the full article here: Infographic: Big Data on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

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How to Keep Your Skills Sharp When Out of the Workforce

Eat Your Career

'Whether you’ve voluntarily taken some time off work or involuntarily found yourself unemployed, it’s important to keep your skills sharp while out of the workforce. Whatever the reason you’re not working, every day that passes by where you’re not using your professional skills is a chance for you to fall behind the competition–and that could make it very hard to get back into the workforce when the time comes.

Skills 150
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Seven reasons why your boss should use a chauffeur service

Practically Perfect PA

'Ensuring our boss is able to get from A to B without any fuss or stress is a key task for assistants. The fuss and stress shouldn’t be felt or seen by the boss but we can certainly feel it! As we all know keeping our managers on track is at times a logistical nightmare. I’ve often seen (and have done this myself) PAs standing outside board rooms waiting for their manager’s meeting to finish so that they can escort them to the next meeting room so that the boss doesn’t g

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Elevating the Virtual Interviewing Experience

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.

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Eliminate Energy-Draining People From Your Life

Office Dynamics

'Hello Monday Motivators ! Quick question: Who drains you? Who are the people at home and at work who seem to zap your energy, kill your dreams, make you feel “less than,” or cause you to have self-doubt? Whoever those people are, you need to limit the time you spend with them or completely eliminate them from your life. Now, think of the people who energize you; stimulate your thinking; make you laugh; challenge you to be a better person.

Phones 158
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3 Mistakes I See Business Owners Making

Office Organization Success

'This week has been jam-packed. Lots of client work taking place; indoor soccer and karate classes to run to; my gym classes to get to; and just lots of other fun stuff happening (including a fundraiser taking place tonight at The Wine Merchant here in Findlay … I’m one of the servers!). Even though it’s been a busy week, it’s all good.

Training 152
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Not Everyone is on the Web or has a Smartphone

Small Business Labs

'Regular readers know we're big fans of Pew Research. Their Web at 25 in the U.S. report includes a wide range of statistics and facts on U.S Internet usage since its inception. One of the biggest reactions this study has gotten is surprise that not everyone is on the Web or has a smartphone. Because of this, we thought we'd highlight these results.

UPS 152
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Procrastination – Quote of the Week

The Small Business Blog

'“Most companies don’t die because they are wrong; most die because they don’t commit themselves. They fritter away their momentum and their valuable resources while attempting to make a decision. The greatest danger is in standing still.” – Andrew S. Grove, US entrepreneur. Inertia is often a big killer of businesses. The problem is that… Read the full article here: Procrastination – Quote of the Week on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

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Mandatory COVID Vaccination Policy Template

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!

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Outline of time management principles

Ian's Messy Desk

'The post Outline of time management principles appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. I’ve yet to find a pithy quip that summarizes time management. Until that time, here’s my outline of time management principles. Identify time over which you have control. Set systems for routine tasks. Use technology. Make best use of the 80/20 rule. Identify and use your energy cycle.

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The Talbott Hotel, Chicago

Practically Perfect PA

'What an absolute godsend The Talbott Hotel is! I arrived into Chicago following a very very long over night journey from Memphis and all I wanted to do was get to my hotel so that I could catch up on some much needed sleep. Luckily I was staying at The Talbott, a hotel that didn’t mind checking me in at 8am. In fact the lovely receptionist even apologised for keeping me waiting 10 minutes so that they could check the room was ready for me.

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Are conferences for administrative professionals beneficial enough for you to go?

Office Dynamics

'by MARY ELLEN SLAYTER on MARCH 6, 2014 8:33AM. in ADMIN PRO FORUM. Question: ”I think it would be interesting to attend one of the larger conferences for admins and office managers, but I’m sure it would involve some travel, missed time from work and the company footing the bill. Can anyone tell me if it’s been worth it to them to dive in and make appearances at events like these?

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Why it's Smart to Ditch the Pay-as-You-Go Pricing Model

Virtual Moxie

'When I formalized the Virtual Assistance industry by founding AssistU , I created what’s now commonly accepted in the industry as the more “standard” pricing model. That model has two levels: pay-as-you-go (PAYG), and retainer. It’s the PAYG I want to address today. When I created it, PAYG (characterized by billing clients at month-end for exactly the amount of time they used, and being willing to let them use/buy more, or less time, as their need dictated) was for clients who maybe had just st

AT&T 150
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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

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.

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Millennials, Adulthood, Work and Families

Small Business Labs

'Several good, recent studies and articles on Millennials and how they view kids, families and work.  These include: Pew Research - Millennials in Adulthood : Pew consistently does excellent research and this report is another example.   It covers a wide range of topics related to how Millennials are behaving now that they are adults. Key quote: Now ranging in age from 18 to 33, they are relatively unattached to organized politics and religion, linked by social media, burdened

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6 Reasons Your Small Online Business Needs a Blog

The Small Business Blog

'Every small business needs a blog. Why? Here are 6 reasons. 1 – It levels the playing field Online marketing, and marketing in general, isn’t always fair on the little boys. With their huge budgets and extensive brand awareness, it’s significantly easier for big companies to make a splash with their campaigns and tougher if… Read the full article here: 6 Reasons Your Small Online Business Needs a Blog on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

Budget 162
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Videos Are Not My Favorite Thing!

Office Organization Success

'This week I’ve ventured into the world of video again and recorded this week’s article for you. I knew there was a reason why I don’t do many videos … I don’t like it! I’d happily do teleclasses and teach to live groups all day long, but put me in front a video … and I just don’t enjoy it! Still, I guess if I practice a bit more often I may just get comfortable with it.

Training 149
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Booking a flight for the boss

Practically Perfect PA

'For any assistant booking a flight for the boss can be a daunting task. Where do you start and how do you make sure they are happy with your choice? Here are my top tips on booking a flight for your boss… . 15 questions to ask your manager about their flight. What is the purpose of the trip? Do they always carry luggage on to the flight or prefer to check it in?

Travel 172
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SME Relationships: Proven Solutions for Seamless Collaboration and Success

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!