Office Dynamics

AUGUST 24, 2015

Must We Multi-task? Maybe It’s Better Not To. After all, multi-tasking is not what it’s all cracked up to be. As I deliver sessions at seminars and conferences throughout North America in every kind of business you can think of, I often encounter people who are pleased, even proud, that they can multi-task. What about you? Do you regularly multi-task, such as reading emails while someone is talking to you on the telephone?

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UPS Phones Stress Customer Service 201

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 17, 2015

What are the main aspects of your role? My role is very varied and probably doesn’t sit within the ‘traditional PA’ job description that many would think. Having been with Absolute Taste for 14 years there are lots of jobs that I do which are a hangover from when we were a very small company with 10-15 people so we all mucked in, saying that I still do these tasks because I enjoy these aspects and I don’t want to relinquish them!

Travel 196

Travel Restaurants Gifts Email 196

Virtual Moxie

AUGUST 17, 2015

Waaaay back in the day, I was Cheryl Richardson 's Virtual Assistant, she was the new president of ICF, and we were deeply engaged in working on the first-ever International Coach Federation conference. Although instructions had been given to attendees about how to handle their own special dietary requests directly with the hotel, one woman decided she HAD to talk with me about it.

International 186

International Phones 186

Office Organization Success

AUGUST 27, 2015

Website traffic is not a problem. Getting it to visit YOUR website is! There are an abundance of your ideal clients out there all searching for the solutions that your services offer. But the problem is they don’t know about you … yet! As a solopreneur, one ingredient you need for a successful online business is traffic… and lots of it!

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Promotion 2015 Email Stress 169

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

The Small Business Blog

AUGUST 12, 2015

When planning and booking live music for corporate events, as the organiser you will need to ensure you’ve done research and planned your entertainment in conjunction with your venue and needs. Live music, unlike a continuous soundtrack from a playlist, is a far more impressive way to add music to a corporate party or networking… Read the full article here: 3 Rules For Live Music At Corporate Events on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

Networking 163

Networking 163

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 27, 2015

Pacific Standard's Who Really Runs the Airbnbs  looks at the boom in Airbnb rentals in New Orleans with a focus on better understanding whether or not Airbnb hosts live in the space they rent. In New Orleans, most don't. Key quote: Only 34 percent of rentals are for rooms or shared rooms; 66 percent of listings are for an entire home or apartment.

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AT&T Promotion 163

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 14, 2015

Do you have a a business card? A question I was often asked during my career as an assistant. The answer was generally no and then I would feel a bit stupid. I always felt I should have a business card. I would go so far as to say I felt a bit resentful when colleagues were pulling out business cards in meetings or during networking events and I wouldn’t have anything to hand over to my new contact.

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Business Cards Suppliers Equipment AT&T 168

Virtual Moxie

AUGUST 25, 2015

This past weekend was really wonderful. Here in Baltimore, we had rare August weather (not hot, not humid), and as a result, we were up and out each day really early, and back long after dark, exploring places near home we'd not seen before. I love road trips--long or short. I actually prefer them to any other sort of travel. And I prefer taking road trips with Dominic over anyone else.

Travel 174

Travel Environment Email Learning 174

Office Organization Success

AUGUST 14, 2015

Not enough clients? Not enough profits? All it could take are a few tweaks to your business management systems and you could easily turn this around. I know the thought of creating systems in your business doesn’t sound very appealing or exciting. But what if I told you that having the right systems in your business can make all the difference between having all the clients you need or not having clients?

Management 159

Management 2015 AT&T Stress 159

Eat Your Career

AUGUST 2, 2015

For those of you who haven’t met me in the real world, let me first explain some of my character assets and liabilities. I’m what every personality test on the planet would describe as “highly dominant” in a workplace setting. (In a personal setting, I’m quite different, but that’s a story for another day…). At work, I’m extremely task-focused, almost to the detriment of my professional relationships.

Stress 146

Stress AT&T Learning UPS 146

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

AUGUST 31, 2015

The Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) - a leading, global analyst firm focused on the use of contingent workers by businesses - recently released a report on the human cloud. It's only available to their members. But since I called them a "leading, global analyst firm" and pitch them again at the end of this article, I'm hoping they'll be OK with me "borrowing" a bit from their report.

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Monster 2014 Filing Stress 160

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 17, 2015

No team exists without some problems. No relationship exists without some problems, whether small or large. It is important to the team relationship not to let problems tear down the team and reduce the team’s effectiveness. Turn obstacles into opportunities for growth. Focus on possibilities. Put all your energy into finding solutions and work around the obstacles.

Goals 193

Goals Management 193

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 25, 2015

This week I am concentrating on the tricky task of business travel planning. Today I will be writing about the first step which is ‘ waving goodbye to your Executive ‘ Firstly I think we all breath a sign of relief when our Executive pays that final visit to our desk to say goodbye before they head out of the office to start their business trip.

Travel 167

Travel Phones AT&T Management 167

Virtual Moxie

AUGUST 4, 2015

How can you be sure that it's time to let a client go, time to change your business model, time to go for training or certification, or time for… well, anything, really? When do you really know that you're ready? You never do. Even when there's a problem that seems irresolvable and you feel pushed to do something different, you never can be sure you've worked at things hard enough, or looked for enough solutions, or even completely addressed things together (if another person's involved).

Training 164

Training 164

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Management

Office Organization Success

AUGUST 12, 2015

A couple of weeks ago I headed out to Orlando for a 3-day fashion event. I attend this event twice a year, and I love that I get to unplug for a few days and focus on something completely different—it’s all about balance, right? For me, this is when I get the best ideas for my business. I’m away from my office, in a different environment, and I can simply let those thoughts and ideas I’ve been having percolate away for a few days.

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Environment AT&T 156

Step It Up VA Coaching

AUGUST 3, 2015

Softball is over for the summer. No more practices, games, try-outs, or workouts! I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all this free time, except hopefully spend some of it with YOU! I would love to work with you for a full day on your business! Announcing “before summer’s over” dates for VIP In-Person Intensives ! AND through this week (or until they’re gone!

Calendars 143

Calendars Email UPS 143

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 22, 2015

The Harvard Business Review's 7 Tips for Managing Freelancers and Contractors  provides advice on how managers can successfully navigate their relationship with contingent workers.  Talent shortages and the shift to hiring more contingent workers means companies are becoming more reliant on contingent talent - even for core and/or strategic jobs.

Management 156

Management AT&T Skills 156

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 13, 2015

As we celebrate 25 years in business we’re offering a free webinar each month for administrative professionals to continue their skill development and learn more about who we are and what we offer the administrative profession. This month we focused on the topic of persuasion skills with our free webinar, Getting to Yes: Overcoming Resistance to Get What You Want and Create More Value for Your Company.

Skills 186

Skills Administrative Training 2016 2015 186

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Interviewing

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 3, 2015

A few years ago I was working as a PA to a senior board director in an organisation full of project managers, engineers and specialist technicians. There were a large number of administration and support staff but we certainly didn’t make up the bulk of the business. As is often the case renumeration was structure around the staff who made the business money (or the folks who made the business more efficient and thus made the business money).

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Salary AT&T Promotion Project Management 165

Virtual Moxie

AUGUST 11, 2015

As you might remember, I had to have emergent abdominal surgery in April, and my recovery was difficult. To give myself some breathing room, I decided to not talk with anyone about new work or new opportunities till the beginning of July. Everyone who wrote to me about one of those two things received an email to see if talking in July would meet their needs, and I reached out in July to those who wanted to wait.

Email 148

Email Learning Management UPS 148

The Small Business Blog

AUGUST 12, 2015

When planning and booking live music for corporate events, as the organiser you will need to ensure you’ve done research and planned your entertainment in conjunction with your venue and needs. Live music, unlike a continuous soundtrack from a playlist, is a far more impressive way to add music to a corporate party or networking… Read the full article here: sme3 Rules For Live Music At Corporate Events on: THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG.

Networking 141

Networking 141

Productivity Bits

AUGUST 20, 2015

Offices were meant to be the best place to get work done. But between the people milling around, the allure of the internet to distract us and the general din that occurs when you stick hundreds of people in a big room together, sometimes it can be hard to be productive. We’ve got 10 tips to keep you going, even in the most distracting of offices. Thank you for subscribing!

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Policies

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 11, 2015

CB Insights , a great source of information on VC activity and startups, has an excellent article covering the growing number of food startups.  The article chart below (click to enlarge) lists over 40 food startups by category.  The trends driving VC and startup interest in the food industry are pretty straight forward - the food industry is enormous and more people are taking more interest in healthy eating.

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Office Dynamics

AUGUST 14, 2015

Hello friends! I’ve been tasked with the presentation of our next free webinar (September) from Joan and I need your help. What should I talk about in that one-hour educational session? What are you most interested in hearing from me? I’ve been Joan’s strategic business partner for the past 9 years and I’ve had a lot of opportunity to grow through challenging my own comfort zones and always expecting the unexpected from Joan.

Social Media 186

Social Media Networking Skills Management 186

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 12, 2015

We have all experienced someone somewhere throughout our careers that just doesn’t want to make life easy. Whether it’s your new work colleague that’s worried you are going to take their job or a boss who has just taken a disliking to you, belittling everything you do, questioning every step you make or ensuring that you seem to get the blame for everything that goes wrong.

Confidence 148

Confidence Interviewing Learning Environment 148

Clutter Coach

AUGUST 25, 2015

by Originally posted 2007-03-05 12:46:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Last week I made a presentation to a group that included a visualization at the beginning. I wanted to talk to this group of nascent entrepreneurs about their home offices. For me, one of the best things about having my own business is my home office. It’s not fancy, but it’s mine!

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Home Office 2007 Phones Promotion 138

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

Tips From T. Marie

AUGUST 12, 2015

I’m going to warn you, this blog post is me being honest. That probably means it’s going to rub some people the wrong way. So be it. If it helps another person who is struggling with some of the same questions, it’s worth irritating a few others. Sometimes you have an idea that just sets you on fire. You’re invested in it, heart and soul, not to mention time.

Learning 130

Learning Email Training UPS 130

Eco-Office Gals

AUGUST 17, 2015

Great stickers can have a multitude of uses from giving you a quick and easy way to promote your brand to making your home look fantastic. Creating custom stickers is an art form so lets look at some great examples to help you on the way ecooffice-gals chatted with custom sticker experts Blue Bee Printing who recommended some cool eco sticker examples to get inspired from.

Forms 122

Forms Promotion UPS 122

Small Business Labs

AUGUST 25, 2015

The 3D printing industry is at an interesting point, with both good and bad news coming out on a regular basis. The most recent bad news comes from the earnings (losses, actually) reported by 2 public makers of 3D printers. As reported in the WSJ article 3D Printer Firms Fall Flat , both 3D Systems and Stratasys reported ugly earnings due to "an increasingly uncertain outlook as many potential buyers hold out for what they hope will be better, faster machines." Another reason for the gen

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UPS Google 155

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 25, 2015

This year millennials surpassed Gen Xers as the largest generation in the U.S. labor force , according to Pew Research. Instead of debating about millennials’ work style or views, companies need to embrace this new generation and figure out how to attract and retain top talent. Gone are the days when attractive salaries and retirement options were enough to land top recruits.

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Telecommuting Salary Collaborate Retirement 172

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