Virtual Moxie

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

AssistU is 15 years old this year. And just more than a week ago, in Minneapolis at our annual Homecoming/Community Recognition Awards event (think spirited family reunion meets Academy Awards and you’ll have a sense of what it’s like), we had a small party in my suite to celebrate. Most everyone came—we had amazing Ho-Ho cake from Key’s at the Foshay , drank champagne, laughed and cried and absolutely celebrated this thing we all love—AssistU.

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Learning Mentoring Training Goals 204

The Small Business Blog

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

My company WinWeb has struck a new partnership with Xenca, the fast growing providers of wellbeing products. They have chosen us as their cloud partner for the new Xenca CloudApp which is available now for all 600 of their members to access for free!

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Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

[Show as slideshow]. Like a lot of us these days I am glued to my iPhone. Over the last year I’ve had it stolen … twice! Both times I’ve replaced my phone as quickly as is humanly possible because I am just lost without it (sometimes I am literally lost without it thanks to my dependence on Google maps to get me about London!). I use my iPhone every day and I’ve found there are loads of apps which are really helpful for assistants and their managers, most of which probably have either an iPhone

Restaurants 195

Restaurants Travel Phones Calendars 195

Office Organization Success

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

Business owner’s To Do lists are endless … I mean there is so much to do all the time that it feels like a never-ending cycle of To Do lists! And they can spend all day being “busy” but at the end of the day never feel like they’ve accomplished anything…. … they still don’t have a full practice of ideal clients. … their marketing systems are hit-or-miss. … they do not have consistent cash flow.

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Calendars Phones Email Facebook 193

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

Stephanie LH Calahan

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

I have been talking with people about social media a lot lately.  There is a lot of confusion and frustration about what to do and what not to do when it comes to social media. Recently, I participated in Michele Price's #SpeakChat on Twitter.  The topic was on the social media mistakes that speakers make.  While Michele focuses on speakers in her chat, the tips she shared are excellent for many other industries.

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Social Media Twitter Facebook Networking 189

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

We attended the Global Workspace Association (GWA) annual conference last week in Baltimore. The GWA is a trade association for members of the workspace-as-a-service industry. Their members are folks from business centers, coworking facilities, executive suites, mobile workforce service providers and other vendors who serve this industry. The conference sessions were excellent and very informative.  But even better was the interaction at breaks.

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The Small Business Blog

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

As the recession continues, being able to stay competitive is an absolute necessity in the current economic climate. If you’re in the retail industry one such way of staying competitive is through importing goods from abroad. Overseas suppliers can cut costs by a huge margin, in some cases by as much as 60%.

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Suppliers 188

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

[Show as slideshow]. Like a lot of us these days I am glued to my iPhone. Over the last year I’ve had it stolen … twice! Both times I’ve replaced my phone as quickly as is humanly possible because I am just lost without it (sometimes I am literally lost without it thanks to my dependence on Google maps to get me about London!). I use my iPhone every day and I’ve found there are loads of apps which are really helpful for assistants and their managers, most of which probably have either an iPhone

Restaurants 190

Restaurants Travel Phones Calendars 190

Eco-Office Gals

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Happy Labor Day! We’re supposed to take the day off, we’re not supposed to labor, right? Not going to happen at Eco-Office Gals, I always work – it’s a bad habit. However, Labor Day is all about the sales, I can do that at least. I was reading Top 10 WordPress Security Myths on ProBlogger, I have heard my clients use every one of these excuses: WordPress is not secure.

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2012 AT&T UPS 164

Stephanie LH Calahan

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

I was on the phone the other day with one of my private clients and we were talking about her social media strategy.  She tells me: " I just don't know what to say!  I barely have enough time to create my webinars and blog posts.  Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , Quora and the list goes on and on!  How do I make up unique content for each platform?

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Social Media Management PowerPoint Twitter 186

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

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

One of the most interesting shifts we've seen since we started researching small businesses is the change in view of small businesses as a target market. A decade ago relatively few firms - large or small - considered small businesses a key target market. Today, lots of firms do.   This fact was highlighted in a letter sent to the management team of Office Depot by the Hedge Fund Starboard.  They recently bought 13% of Office Depot's stock and are pushing the company to restr

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Office Depot Temping Negotiating Expenses 180

Virtual Moxie

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

A private coaching client recently shared that she’d been asked by a prospect, “How will you promote my new book?”. My client wondered what I would have said had I been in her shoes. My response? “I’d say, ‘I’ll help you find the best publicist available.’”. Now, I know that’s not what the client would have wanted to hear. The client would have wanted to hear all the fabulous publicity ideas I had for her that would skyrocket her sales, her platform, and send her off to best-seller land.

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Promotion Skills Training UPS 171

The Small Business Blog

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Try not to overlook how important it is for you to maintain a positive reputation for your business online.

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Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

Pin It. As we all know being an assistant means that our super organised skills are second to none. Fact! We are the most organised profession there is available to the working world and our skills can be transferable to many different tasks, including managing an event from start to finish. Like most assistants I’ve organised quite a few in my time and have felt quite comfortable managing all aspects of the event, for example I know how to arrange a conference room, I know which AV equipment to

Negotiating 185

Negotiating Suppliers Skills Agencies 185

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Management

Eco-Office Gals

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

Many businesses hesitate to adopt green practices because they fear it will damage their bottom line and negatively impact profits. But the reality is that customers quite often scrutinize companies that they know do not actively make an effort to save the environment. For example, several years ago a leaked McKinsey and Co. study showed that nearly 10 percent of Wal-Mart customers stopped shopping there because of the company’s poor reputation (including its commitment to the environment).

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Carbon Footprint Telecommuting Environment Travel 160

Stephanie LH Calahan

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Do you "understand" or do you "over-stand"? Your perspective on the situation can make all the difference in the world. ~Stephanie LH Calahan. That is a statement I share all of the time on my social media channels.  I receive really interesting comments when I do. But, did you know that this one concept can make or break your conversations with prospects and clients?

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Forms Social Media Phones Resume 185

Eat Your Career

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

When I was in fourth grade, my best friend and I were really “into” day planners. We meticulously noted our homework, our special activities (like trips to the mall) and anything else we found relevant in our young lives. Every once in a while, we would play a game. I’d take her planner, and she’d take mine. We’d casually turn to different pages, pick a random day, and put a star on that day.

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Virtual Moxie

SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

Have you ever reached your retainer hours mid month and although there’s more work to be done, the client tells you to stop working and pick things up again in the new month? Sounds logical, doesn’t it. The client has reached the limits of her financial resources and doesn’t have more money to throw at having her work done this month. Besides, nothing’s critical… it can be done next month.

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Interviewing

The Small Business Blog

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Unlocking the handcuffs No, I’m not talking about the bondage scenes in ’50 Sheds du Lait’ my latest, erotic fantasy novel. My next book is about a billionaire dairy farmer hooked on gorgonzola and addicted to early morning visits to the ‘Beyond the Pail Room’ with a trainee yoghurt maker.

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Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Pin It. Over the last few weeks I’ve been writing about the wonderful world of events. Firstly I put a little infographic together on various seating arrangements and then I shared some top tips on how to negotiate with a venue. This week I’ll be looking at the venue itself, specifically how to conduct an on-site visit and what questions you should be considering when choosing a venue.

Negotiating 182

Negotiating Equipment Budget Social Media 182

Eco-Office Gals

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Yesterday was pure misery, I was hacked at 4:30am by some you-know-what in Italy. I did the cardinal sin – I didn’t do my upgrades! POW! BUB was found ! I know I know, but it wasn’t my regular site, it was my host reseller management platform, I’m not on there often and we’re not all perfect. {hang head in shame}. My trusty HostGator was right on it and had me back online, but it was a bit of a mess.

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AT&T Management 160

Stephanie LH Calahan

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Recently, I shared some of my favorite tips on how to eliminate writer's block in my post: Writer's Block Stinks !  Based on all of the shares, tweets and messages I received, I can tell that there are a lot of people that are feeling stuck creating content! I have also heard from clients that would like to try some new things on their blog, but don't know how to introduce it to their audience.

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Stress Email Learning UPS 178

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Policies

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Tonight we gathered at the Cherry Nightclub Pool area at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in beautiful sunny Las Vegas for the welcome reception kicking off Office Dynamic International’s 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence. The most complimentary expressions and words scarcely can describe the incredible event that took place. Administrative assistants and executive assistants, gathered from across the nation, were met at the entrance to the poolside bash by two Las Vegas show girl

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Virtual Moxie

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Don't get caught up in the thick of thin things. -- Stephen Covey. A friend who's a management consultant told me a story I'll never forget. It’s said that Charles Schwab, when President of Bethlehem Steel, paid $25,000 for one idea—worth about $550,000 today. He paid it, despite immense criticism from friends and colleagues, because he said it was the most profitable thing he'd ever learned.

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Calendars Management Learning UPS 157

The Small Business Blog

SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Be disruptive not desperate ‘I’ll do it’ That’s the response you get from Tony Robinson OBE’s answer-phone. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s desperate for work – he can’t do anything. As a literary agent, to yours truly, he’s been as successful as my goldfish.

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Phones 173

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Today I am off to The Office Show 2012 at London Olympia. It is a great event and gives us a chance to meet with other assistants and like-minded people. The suppliers at the exhibition are tailored for assistants, the seminars are run by some of the most prestigious training companies and as always there are a lot of free goodies! As I’ve been preparing to attend Office I’ve thought back over similar events I’ve been too and noticed how often assistants are associated with eve

2012 160

2012 Suppliers Skills AT&T 160

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

Small Business Labs

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Franchising is the Rodney Dangerfield of the business world - no respect.  We're guilty of this here at Small Business Labs.  We don't follow, study or report on franchising as much as it deserves. I was reminded of this while reading CNBC's  Hidden Small Businesses: The Case for Franchising Growth. The key quote is on the size of the franchising industry: There are more than 825,000 franchise establishments across 300 business lines, which employ nearly 18 million

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Google AT&T 156

Stephanie LH Calahan

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Over the years, I've found a number of tools and services that I've incorporated into my business that really help me get my message "out there" and run my. business more effectively. I use a lot of audio in my business and I'm often asked what some of my favorite tools are.  Today, I'll tell you about a secret weapon that I've been using for years and how it could benefit your business!

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Phones Interviewing Purchasing Filing 176

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Lisa compared integrity to pantyhose. The feet on a new pair open on one side, but they were not ripped. Both sides were open. Turns out, the heel and toes are both open on purpose. It changed her entire outfit! She discussed “aldesko” which means eating lunch while seated at your work station. Root word: soundness, validity, wholeness. Lisa says it is more than that: it’s a bridge between character and conduct.

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Goals AT&T Skills Learning 153

Virtual Moxie

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Think about your presence--it really is more than the "look" of your site, or the "design" of your Facebook fan page. It's the moment-by-moment way that you create a digital version of yourself; usually in type; sometimes by voice or video, often in images. What is it that you want people to see and experience of you? How do you know whether they do?

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UPS Facebook 152

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