FIND TIME FOR SUMMER
So it's arrived; summer. A time for football, cycling, tennis and hopefully, some sunshine. The best season to make plans for outdoor activities, holidays and some well-earned R&R. But do you have time for summer fun or will you be slaving over a computer at your desk?
Whatever your career, however you earn a living, it can be tricky to balance everything; more so in the summer when, for many, childcare worries and the long stretch of a school summer holiday on the horizon.
If you need to handover some work or need a boost of business support to make your summer holiday viable and more enjoyable, don't forget websites such as Bark can offer up suggestions for freelancers providing all manner of business services from graphic design to pet grooming. Fiverr is another useful website which lets you search quickly and easily for freelance professional services.
This infographic outlines just some of the key benefits of hiring a virtual assistant and for that matter, many freelancers.
One of the biggest benefits of commissioning a virtual assistant or a self-employed professional is choice. Virtual, remote or self employed working is an ever-popular career choice for many people with years of experience in their chosen profession under their belts.
So explore the web, ask for recommendations and see who might be the best fit to provide the help you are looking for. And then grab your surfboard and head off to the beach! Enjoy your summer!
Published: 3 July 2021
TIPS FOR RIGHT FIRST TIME
It’s Friday, you are 30 minutes away from shutting down the office for the week, and you have three more important tasks to get done. What do you do?
Battle through it or pause and assess what can realistically be done properly?
Whilst a ‘get it done now' mentality is a good thing to have, many of us ultimately waste time by rushing, doing tasks in a haphazard fashion and generally willing our brain to go faster than it naturally can! Result? Mistakes.
The concept of ‘right first time’ is well known in the construction and engineering industry and quite rightly so. For one, safety is of paramount importance in this sector. A process that most large industries aspire to, the concept is straightforward. When you come to do a piece of work, know your limitations, apply yourself and do it well the first time around. In this way, you can create time efficiencies and cost savings and, where appropriate, might become more process-driven if that works for you.
Importantly you won’t have wasted time by having to go back to fix a problem or repeat the task. The philosophy of ‘right first time’ is something we can choose to adopt in our everyday lives.
Here’s some practical tips:
Slow down – take a moment, assess the task in hand and consider all the options. Stay focused and do one thing at a time so all your efforts are channelled into the task in hand.
Take breaks – ever had your nose stuck in a word search struggling to find a word? You look away for two minutes, come back to it, and what do you know? The word jumps out at you. Allow time to re-charge and re-calibrate the brain to help you see more clearly.
Stay tidy – keep your online documents and papers on your desk tidy and easily accessible. Mistakes are made when frustration kicks in and this can be mitigated if everything has a sensible home.
Plan – outline your next working day before it even begins. Spend five minutes at the close of the business day mapping out what you need, or want to do, the following day. Being organised at the beginning of the day will give you confidence and also a keen awareness of the time available to you.
Batch task – think about grouping similar activities together rather than stopping and starting. For example, schedule to make phone calls together or do invoicing in one hit.
If you are rushing to get things done and making mistakes in the process, think about where you need additional support. A virtual assistant can provide hands-on help or even offer advice. Visit the website for the Society of Virtual Assistants for more information about this sector.
Published: 29 April 2021
%20freepix_edited.jpg)
PRACTICAL GUIDE:
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Keeping on top of new business ideas is a great habit to adopt. The famous quote, ‘knowledge is power’, certainly carries weight. But what is the best way to manage this if you are sole trader?
Here are some practical tips for small business owners:
Capture - a new product line? a new piece of technology? Whatever your idea, there is nothing more annoying than having a eureka moment - and then forgetting it!
Transfer random scribbled thoughts from Post-Its to your own personal ideas library or a knowledge vault. Type them out or photograph them and save them in the cloud (or your desktop if this is more appropriate) for easy retrieval. Microsoft’s OneNote is ideal for capturing ideas via voice recordings and dictation and Dropbox Paper works in a similar vein. Both allow you to go mobile with apps; great if you are a solopreneur with no regular fixed office space.
If apps aren’t for you, the ideas library could be as straightforward as a one-page A-Z or electronic folders. Pinterest-style visual prompts stoke inspiration with mood boards and news clippings, surveys and reports feed creativity and add substance and credibility to bright ideas.
Revisit – regularly scrutinise the contents of your information vault. This could be annually or six-monthly if you are a start-up and need flexibility. Be honest. What was just a ramble and what could really add value? If it has legs, keep it.
It is worthwhile consolidating your ambitions and producing strategy documents to provide focus and direction throughout the business year.
Impact – these documents don't need to be glossy and lengthy; they should outline what you are trying to achieve honestly.
They should be meaningful, allowing measurement of progress against plan. Whether for financial, regulatory or marketing purposes, ensure they are well-structured, clearly written and spell-checked!
Depending on time, capacity and budget you could create a one-page Microsoft Word document or a 10-page, interactive and fully animated pdf file. Both have merits. Choose the one that best-represents your business.
Use charts and infographics for ease on the eye and to break up large sections of text. For guidance, spend 10 minutes with a Microsoft office tutorial from LinkedIn learning or reach out to a virtual assistant with help from the Society of Virtual Assistants. Websites such as Bark.com can also help small businesses find specialists in graphic design and printing.
Implement – after all that effort don’t let your knowledge library or personalised document gather dust! Store a copy of the document with your office policy documents, and, depending on the length, print a copy for pinning to an office wall or noticeboard for continual reference.
Repeat - where appropriate, make the document a headliner in status meetings with partners, suppliers or associates. By regularly referring back to initial goals and targets you will be able to introduce measures for success.
Remember to keep your ideas library or knowledge vault fresh and fully stocked. New trends and forecasts will continually inform how your business grows.
There are many benefits to collecting information. But do be mindful of GDPR regulations and compliance. The data you collect and retain must be for lawful reasons and subject to your privacy policy. But that’s a whole different story altogether!
Published: 10 March 2021. Extract from my longer LinkedIn article
Image created by www.freepix.com
%2520rawpixel%252C%2520Amanda%2520Fletcher%2520Virtual%2520Assistant%2520Administrative%2520Support_edited_edited.jpg){kind=tracking}
SOCIETY OF VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS -
APPROVED LISTING
What a way to start a new year! One month in to 2021 and I'm thrilled to be listed as an approved member of the UK's Society of Virtual Assistants (SVA).
The SVA was formed in 2005 to encourage and support virtual assistants based in the UK.
With over 3,000 members, the SVA aims to promote and advocate best-practice and knowledge sharing within the industry. To be listed in the Approved Virtual Assistant scheme, members must meet standards related to communication, professionalism and compliance. The SVA provides a wealth of sector information and advice and maintains an active forum for members. To learn more, or to find an approved UK virtual assistant, visit www.societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk.
Published: 2 February 2021
5 REASONS TO WORK WITH A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
2020 was the year of remote working. 2021 may not be too different. As traditional working patterns change, businesses large and small continue to find their own and unique ways of adapting.
Face-to-face working is no doubt effective, but there are also benefits from partnering with self-employed, remote resource. Here’s my take on virtual business support:
Flexibility - a virtual assistant can join you for as little - or as long - as you need. This flexibility means that admin support, marketing communications or project assistance packages are tailored to meet your specific needs, recognising that one size does not fit all, all of the time.
Relationship building - to draw on another clothing analogy, you have an opportunity to ‘try before you buy’. A one-off task or a project allows you to get to know the virtual assistant to see if there is a cultural fit with your organisation and to see how well you work together. If it works out, then you have a ‘go-to’ pair of helping hands on speed-dial. If not, a virtual handshake and a polite goodbye is all that is required.
Responsive – a virtual assistant is independent and is generally wired to take a brief, digest it, then hit the ground running. This enables you to focus on other things, confident that your work is getting done in the background.
Niche – there are virtual assistants around the world proficient in just about every technical specialism! Finding the one with the expertise, work ethic and personality that aligns with your business goals is important. This diverse virtual network means that if one assistant can’t help, they will be able to offer advice on more appropriate people. The Society of Virtual Assistants has a useful website and offers lots of guidance on the sector.
Reassurance – virtual assistants are self-employed which means they take care of insurances and tax – which is one less thing for you (and the HR team) to worry about in 2021!
Happy New Year and here's to a productive 2021!
Published: January 2021
