The Small Business Blog

APRIL 29, 2008

E-Mail me or follow me. You ask a question, I answer! Ask me your small business questions, I will answer them ASAP. Effective Small Business Planning Strategy Planning your small business is the best way to avoid costly mistakes. Small Business Bootstrapping How to start your own small business with no or little money. Outsourcing Options For Small Business Focus on your business, timeshare professionals.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 30, 2008

I read an interesting article in Canadian Lawyer Associates magazine called "Here to Help" by Helen Burnett. It brings up the subject of young lawyers needing to be taught how to make the most of having an assistant. I think it would apply in all offices. It quotes some very forward thinking law firms who run seminars for new associates on how to work with an assistant.

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Goals Learning UPS 100

On The Job

APRIL 30, 2008

Gossip in the workplace is about as common as the daily arrival of UPS. Workers gossip about their families, their friends and whether Miley Cyrus should punch Annie Leibovitz in the face for that Vanity Fair photo. But, workers also gossip about the boss. They gossip about co-workers. Sometimes it's not mean-spirited ("Did you know Daniel and Heather in accounting are dating?

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Professional Assistant Blog

APRIL 1, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Productivity With Shared Files By The Professional Assistant on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Word , Organize , Productivity D o you share your files with others in your firm? Do you find that you are being bombarded with updates to the same files time and time again? Imagine that your boss comes to you and asks you to merge several files into one main file ( Microsoft Word document).

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Filing Google Docs 2008 Microsoft Word 100

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

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 29, 2008

This is the time of year for spring cleaning and your office probably needs a good clean up too. Make your desk clutter free inside and out. You should have as much working space as possible. Have a place for everything and use it. Keep your drawers neat and tidy. Recycle extra staplers, scissors, highlighters and pens that you do not need. Use a drawer organizer so you can separate items and make things neat.

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Filing Management UPS 100

On The Job

APRIL 29, 2008

I've been traveling a lot for business lately, and I've just got to get some pet peeves off my chest: * If you've got a big case, stuffed with a heavy laptop, do not fling that thing over your shoulder without checking to see if someone is behind you. Chances are, if you're standing in line or on a crowded flight, there is someone close by and you could cause potentially cause serious bruises and/or brain damage when you whack them with it. * Two words: Anti-perspirant.

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Stress Travel Skills Networking 100

On The Job

APRIL 28, 2008

In a live radio interview last year about my book , the host asked me: "So, Anita, how much do you make writing your syndicated workplace column?" Thankfully, you couldn't see my reaction, because I have a feeling my face sort of resembled a landed halibut. But after a moment's hestitation, I answered him in a round, ballpark-figure-sort-of-way. I thought of this as I read The New York Times story that noted younger workers don't really have a problem telling someone else what they make, and eve

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Salary Interviewing UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 28, 2008

More and more executives require their assistants to manage their e-mail accounts for them. The problem I have with this request is managing a busy executive’s e-mail account can be a full-time job in itself, but many executives are asking for it. Here are some things that I have found: Meet with your executive and get on the same page as to what they are expecting you to accomplish when going through their e-mail account.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 27, 2008

This is definitely good news for our profession. Here is an article from the Wausau Daily Herald where they quote Department of Labor statistics on the future growth of our profession. Click here to read the article. For a direct link to the Department of Labor report click here. Tags: department of labor statistics good news for the assistant professional assistant Administrative Assistant.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 27, 2008

I am always looking for shortcuts and I found a neat way to speed up my typing using AutoCorrect. For example, here are a few I have created. If I type sbc and press the spacebar (or press enter) it automatically types SENT BY COURIER. Here are some others I use: sbf - SENT BY FACSIMILE sbr - SENT BY REGISTERED MAIL p&c - PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL Your Autocorrect shortforms are case sensitive, so choose whether they will be lower case or upper case.

2007 100

2007 Forms UPS 100

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Equipment

On The Job

APRIL 24, 2008

Alexandra Levit is a career coach, author and speaker, and has a new book, "How'd You Score That Gig." I recently asked her a few questions about her book. 1. What inspired you to write "How'd You Score That Gig?" The idea originated as a result of several conversations I overheard at friends’ dinner parties. It seemed that someone at every event always had a job that totally intrigued the rest of the group.

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Networking Interviewing Phones Learning 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 23, 2008

Christie Phillips was named 2008 Administrative Professional of the Year by the Hager Chapter of IAAP. Congratulations Christie. Click here to read the article. Tags: Admins in the spotlight professional assistant kudos Administrative Assistant.

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Administrative Professionals IAAP 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 24, 2008

Here are a few articles I wanted to pass along that I thought were very appropriate during Administrative Professionals' Week. Secretary Jobs Evolving Into Something More by Karen Robes in the dailybreeze.com In Celebration of Administrative Assistants by Jenny May in The News-Herald.com This blog post by Ellen Bloom from Los Angeles is my Beat is worth looking at just for the first photo.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 23, 2008

I am on vacation the rest of this week so I will be blogging only occasionally during that time. I will be back at it starting on Tuesday, April 29th. Enjoy the rest of the week wherever you are. Patricia. Tags: out of office blog assistant.

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On The Job

APRIL 23, 2008

This is a frightening time for everyone in the workplace, when fears abound about what latest economic downturn will result in layoffs. One of the most vulnerable groups of employees are the experienced workers with their higher salaries and richer benefits. Older workers need to understand that this is the time to ratchet up their game. They need to be seen as vital by going after new clients, taking on new projects and just being seen as a dynamic voice in the future of a company.

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On The Job

APRIL 22, 2008

In honor of Earth Day, we're going to deal with all things green in this Tidbit Tuesday post: * One of the job sectors expected to grow is anything that has to do with the environment. If you're interested in "green collar" jobs and what that means, check out this report. * Co-op America and Treehugger.com both offers ways to make your office green in 10 easy steps. * For the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks, artists from more than 45 comic strips are all working together to focus on a comm

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2007 Environment 100

On The Job

APRIL 21, 2008

Was I the only one NOT shocked by the YouTube video of several girls beating another girl and videotaping the incident? Of course, it was horrible. Of course, we should all condemn it. Of course, the girls who assaulted the other girl should be punished. But women who gasp in horror and express their disbelief that females would be capable of such acts aren't being honest.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 20, 2008

I went through most of my career unaware that we as admin assistants had a professional association. Since I have become a member of IAAP I don't know why I didn't join before. What a great place to network with our peers and a place we can learn and grow as a person and as an assistant. Judy McCoy, Board President, of IAAP gave a good summary of what joining a professional association can do for you and your career in a recent article in The Bellingham Herald: "I meet people who are stagnant in

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Administrative Professionals IAAP International Networking 100

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Interviewing

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 18, 2008

Practicing your answers to some possible interview questions really helps you to prepare. They won't always ask this question, but for an administrative assistant's job it would be a good question to ask. We certainly know pressure. This is the answer I normally give to this particular question. Do you work well under pressure? I handle working under pressure by being organized.

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Interviewing Stress UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 19, 2008

I have a bad memory. I admit it. Depending on how much sleep I get can determine if it will be better or worse. I jokingly told a friend of mine that sometimes it feels like the information I am looking for is in the archives and the door has been locked and I don't have the key. At work I compensate by writing things down. I write down any instructions I get from my boss, phone messages or anything I will need to remember to either pass on or do.

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Etiquette Calendars Phones 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 18, 2008

I found an interesting post on Anita Bruzzese's blog 45 Things. She wrote an article called Your Success is Tied Directly to the Boss. Click here to read the article. It is an interesting read. She suggests that if you have a bad boss you could be putting your career at risk. Fortunately, I have always gotten along well with my bosses, but I have known people who have had difficult working relationships and it hasn't been pretty.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 19, 2008

Today starts Administrative Professionals’ Week. The whole week is set aside to acknowledge what we do every day. The first time I realized the importance of our job was when I was working as a young secretary in my first job. I was creating some organization charts for my boss and noticed that the secretary was listed beside the director of our department.

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On The Job

APRIL 18, 2008

Ask anyone who really enjoys going to work every day, and you’re likely to hear that one of the reasons they like the job is because of the boss. A good boss, it seems, can make even the really bad days bearable. But a bad boss — well, a bad boss makes every day unbearable, no matter how good it is. And while you may be miserable day in and day out working for a bad boss, it actually gets worse.

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Goals Learning Management 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2008

I came across this article on personal admin horror stories that I thought you might get a kick out of reading. Some of my memorable moments are. I remember making travel arrangements for my boss who was travelling to New York City for a meeting. I was not aware there were three main airports that he could fly to: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark International Airport.

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Clothes Travel International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 16, 2008

April 17, 2007, one year ago today, was the day service was down and all our bosses were frantic because their wireless hand-held devices didn't work. I wrote this after observing their reactions on my way to work and at work and from speaking to others about this new past-time. The 24/7 Executive: Wireless Hand-held Devices are the new Corporate Addiction A young lawyer puts his wireless hand-held device under his pillow so he won’t miss that all-important call or e-mail.

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2007 UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 16, 2008

Hmmm. what do I think would be a good gift idea for an assistant on AP Day? I know it's gotten commercialized just like every other special day, but I love getting presents so as long as we're celebrating I'm going to enjoy it. Here are a few things I think would be good gifts: · Paid membership to an administrative assistant professional association · Educational opportunities · Donation to a charity in admin’s name · Gift certificate · Luncheon either catered in the office or at a restaurant ·

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Collaborate

On The Job

APRIL 16, 2008

As the economy takes a nose dive, and many of us experience burnout as never before, the attraction of working overseas becomes greater. After all, if Brad and Angelina can travel the world and work, why not you? Still, if you’re considering working overseas there are some practical matters to consider such as work permits and visas. And, you also need to be realistic and understand that while many of those who have worked in other countries describe it as one of the greatest adventures of their

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International Restaurants Travel Skills 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 15, 2008

Think of a file as a story about what has happened from beginning to end on a matter. It should be a story that you can look at to see what happened, but it should also be a story someone else will be able to read and make sense of. It is very important if you get phone calls and make decisions on a file to document that by writing a note and putting it on the file by date.

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The Small Business Blog

APRIL 16, 2008

E-Mail me or follow me. Small Business Bootstrapping How to start your own small business with no or little money. Enhance Your Work-Life Balance Have it all your way – family, friends, work and most of all a life! How to be successful and eco-friendly. Making your small business carbon neutral. Starting a Small Business? On-Demand Small Business Infrastructure™ allows you to run your business online.

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2008 2007 2009 2006 100

On The Job

APRIL 15, 2008

The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf. -- Will Rogers (1879-1935) Let's not even think about taxes anymore today, and instead focus on Tidbit Tuesday: * Bring on the Rogaine: Sometimes you have to be really creative in promoting your business and your professional abilities, and a guy with a blog on balding has done just that.

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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