Keep Calm and Carry On

Time management1 comment

It was a funny week last week where I seemed to be taking two steps forward and 5 steps back!  I don’t know whether you’ve had times like that but it can be very frustrating.  One of the things that I had to deal with was a power cut while I was in the middle of doing some client work.  So not only was my laptop running on battery but I had no internet connection.
 
Now I could have panicked and wasted time trying to think how I could resolve the situation.  Instead I used my contingency plan to get myself sorted out.  In no time at all I was back on the Internet with my mobile broadband, and had my second laptop on standby in case the electricity didn’t come back on before my main laptop died on me.  I rang the power cut hotline so I knew what the problem was and how long I would be without power.  And I had the fall back of knowing that I could always go down to the library or Starbucks if need be (both 10 minute walk away) where I would have access to electricity and free WiFi.

This meant that I was able to continue getting on with my work with very little interruption.

So this brought home to me the importance of having a contingency plan so that when things do go wrong or there is an emergency, I can deal with them quickly and calmly with minimum disruption to the service that I’m providing to clients.

So what would you do if an emergency struck?  Would you panic or keep calm and carry on?

Switch off – and get more done!

Small business, Time management0 comments

It’s come to that time of year when things have started to pick up again after the summer break.  I know that I’ve been busy over the last few weeks doing both client work and also marketing stuff for my own business.

However, I sometimes find it difficult to focus on projects especially with all the other things that grab your attention – such as emails, Twitter, Facebook, the internet.  So how can you minimise the distractions and accomplish everything you need to do within your working day?

Well the answer is to switch off!

One of the biggest distractions for most people is the internet, whether it’s checking your emails, seeing what’s happening on Twitter, or reading what your friends have got up to on Facebook.

And most people do these things to stop them from focusing on the important stuff like making that difficult phone call or writing up a proposal – I know I do!  In fact Seth Godin mentioned this in one of his blogs a while back where he talks about turning off the noise for an hour and seeing what happens.

So if you really want to focus on a project and come to the end of the day feeling like you’ve accomplished something then the best thing to do is switch off the very thing that is stopping you from working effectively.

This may seem radical to some people – in fact most of us come out in a cold sweat if we don’t have instant access to our emails and social networking sites!   But by switching off the Internet – even if it’s only for an hour each day – you will be able to give your full attention to getting your important tasks done.  And if it does give you the opportunity to make that phone call you’ve been putting off for weeks then think of the sense of achievement that will give you!

If this sounds appealing but you don’t think you’ve got the willpower to do this alone, then check out a website called Freedom which will lock you away from the internet for up to 8 hours at a time.

Now doesn’t that sound scary?!

Top 5 Tips for Using GMail

How to, Small business0 comments

I started using GMail a few months ago after many years of using Outlook and I have to say that I now prefer it.  I can access my emails from any PC with an Internet connection and there are lots of features which make it really easy to use.  So if you are thinking about switching over, here are my top 5 tips for using GMail.

Prioritise your inbox. GMail has a feature called Priority Inbox which automatically sorts your inbox into 3 categories – Important and unread, Starred and Everything else.   Those categorised as “Important and unread” are usually emails only sent to you or have a certain subject line.   You can also flag emails by clicking on the star symbol at the left of each message line in the inbox.  These messages then appear under the Starred category.  Once emails in the “Important and unread” category have been opened, they then automatically move to “Everything else”, unless you star them.

Filter messages. If you find that your inbox is getting overloaded, then it’s a good idea to filter messages as you receive them.  To filter a message, open up the email and click on the “More actions” button and select the “Filter messages like these” option.  Specify the criteria that determine what to do with the message when it arrives in your inbox, and then click on the “Next step” button to choose the action that you want to take with those messages.  If there are other messages that meet the criteria then these will appear in the window below and you can apply the filter to these messages.

Organise messages with labels. You can also organise messages by creating folders, which are referred to as labels in GMail.  To create a label, select a message(s) and then click on the Labels button, select “Create new” and give the label a name.  Once the label has been created, it will appear on the left hand side of the inbox.  You can create nested labels (ie sub-folders) by going to Settings > Labs and then enabling the Nested Labels feature.

Add emails as tasks.  If you receive a message in GMail that you need to follow up on then you can add it to your task list.  Open the message, click on the More Actions button and then select “Add to Tasks”. The Tasks list will appear on the right hand side and you can edit to add a reminder date.  Go back to Calendar and hit the Refresh button and you’ll see the new task added to your list.

Personalise with a signature. It’s important to have a professional looking email signature that contains your business name and contact details.  You can set this up in GMail by going to Settings>General and then going down to the Signature option.  Type in your details in the box provided, format the text as appropriate – you can also add images and links – and then click on Save Changes.

Online Tools To Help You Work More Effectively

How to, Time management2 comments

If you’re like me and running a business where time is money, then you know how important it is make the most of those valuable hours in the day.   There are many online tools out there to help you work more effectively but it can be time-consuming to find the right one.  Here’s a list of some cost-effective tools to help get you started.

• If you’re someone who works with others on documents then you can collaborate easily on text documents, spreadsheets and presentations with applications such as Google Apps or Google Docs.  Documents are stored online so can be accessed by anyone you want to share them with.

• Do you work from more than one PC or want to share documents or files with a group of people?  You can do this quickly and easily with document sharing tools such as Dropbox, or Microsoft SkyDrive.  These apps allow you to store and share files online, as well as create a backup of all your files which you can access from any PC.

• Are you spending time sending emails just to schedule one meeting?  Find a date quickly and easily using calendar sharing tools such as tungle.me where people can see your availability and choose a time when you’re free.  Alternatively, use a web-based tool such as Google Calendar: you can choose how much information you want to share and it can be synched with your Outlook calendar.

• Do you really need a face to face meeting?  Use applications such as Webex or gotomeeting to collaborate over the Internet and host live meetings and webinars.

• Call other people for free on the Internet using Skype.  You can also set up conference calls and share your computer screen with other Skype contacts via a free video call.

• If you charge by the hour then use time tracking software such as TraxTime, HourGuard or MinuteDock to keep a track of how long it takes you to work on projects.

• Need a reminder for all those important tasks?  Then use a tool such as Remember the Milk, where you can manage and share tasks, get reminders and create to do lists.  You can also use it with Twitter, iPhone, Blackberry and Google Calendar.

• Are you finding that social media takes up a lot of your time?  Well, use apps such as HootSuite or TweetDeck to manage your social media profiles and schedule your updates – all from one place.

• Want to access your emails from any computer?  Then forward your email account to GMail which allows you to prioritise your inbox, filter emails into folders and set up tasks.  Alternatively, you can synch your Outlook email account with GMail.

• Use cloud computing apps which “talk” to each other.  For example, you can manage your contact information online with CRM tools such as CapsuleCRM and these integrate with other online tools such as MailChimp for email marketing and Xero for managing your accounts.  So you can use the contact information you have on Capsule to set up an email marketing campaign and/or see who owes you money.

Virtual Assistants: You Get What You Pay For?

Small business, Virtual Assistant1 comment

I was in a networking meeting the other day and someone asked me how I was different from a virtual assistant who worked for an outsourcing company and charged $5 an hour.   I thought this was a very good question as some virtual assistants worry about outsourcing companies, fearing that they can’t compete on price because $5 an hour is not a living wage in their country.  However, it doesn’t bother me at all because as far as I’m concerned, the service that I offer is completely different.

When clients come to me looking for help, very often they need support on a wide range of services to help them in their business.  Remember, that a virtual assistant isn’t just someone who can do some typing, check emails and/or take calls.  Many now work closely with clients on a wide variety of projects to help them manage their business.

If the client wants this kind of support then they will want someone who will be there at the end of the phone (or email) during working hours and who will understand how their business operates.  As the virtual assistant is a business owner themselves based in the same country, then they have a distinct advantage over outsourcing companies in so far as they are in the same time zone, speak the same language and will know about the local business laws and regulations.  This means that the VA can work closely with the client and help them run their business; from advising them on what software to use to help them work more effectively, to reminding them about any necessary tax and accounting requirements and deadlines.

As far as cost is concerned, once the client understands the benefits of what a virtual assistant can bring to their business, then cost doesn’t become an issue.  The client will have much more time to work on their business without having to worry about all the necessary but time-consuming admin and organisational tasks.  It also saves them money because when the client does these tasks themselves, they’re being done at their hourly rate which is often much higher than the VA’s!

So yes, VAs here in the UK will be charging a higher rate than their counterparts in India and the Philippines, but they are often providing a far more comprehensive service – working  more in the role of a business manager who enables the client to have more time to focus on building a profitable and successful business.