Virtual Assistant Tips - Office Efficiency

Smartphone is the key to a Virtual Assistant business

A couple of years ago I published an article and blogged about how advances in modern technology made businesses such as my own possible.

I was referring to personal computing, the internet and accompanying applications such as Skype, online file-sharing and email.

As technology races on, I’m starting to feel that my trusty iPhone is an integral part of my business, too – and I’d now find it incredibly difficult to manage my business without that, as well.

If you’re running a Virtual Assistant business, or thinking of launching yourself into the VA world, consider investing in a smartphone, if you haven’t already. I love my iPhone, but Android and Blackberry options are just as good.

How to make your productivity simmer

I heard Nick Bramley, of Jorvik Associates, say something very interesting at an event he was running last week. He received some questions from delegates who said they had a time management problem.

His response was: “Do you go on holiday? Do you get to the airport on time, catch your plane, and take a holiday for two weeks? You do? Then you don’t have a time management problem at all – you have a problem with prioritisation.”

I thought this was really interesting. We can all manage ourselves perfectly well when we have to. The problem comes when we don’t give enough time to the things we are supposed to be doing, and we spend too much time on the things we aren’t supposed to be doing.

How to face tough time management choices

Do you ever feel like one of those cartoon characters with an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other, each trying to sway your decisions a particular way?

When you’re making decisions about your business, it can feel like the demon and the angel are whispering at you and competing for your attention – especially when it comes to time management.

That little devil isn’t all bad – it represents aspects of who we are, and not just our weaknesses. For example, you could put that little voice that says “Yes, no problem” to a new client request down to the devil – also known as your ambition, your enthusiasm, and your sheer determination to be successful.

Evernote: Your key to an efficient desktop

I can highly recommend a fabulous little programme if you want to:

Keep track of all your projects
Have all the materials you need for specific tasks to hand
Be liberated from notes, paper memos and folders

That fabulous little programme is called Evernote. There are others like it, for example Microsoft’s OneNote, but my favourite is Evernote.

Virtual Assistants – YOU are Responsible

I love this quote about deadlines from entrepreneur Nigel Botterill, quoted by Amy Duff in Director Magazine.

"The good news is: you're your own boss. The bad news is: you're your own boss. There's no one to keep your feet to the fire but deadlines do. The more public you make your deadlines, the more effective they are at helping you to get stuff done.

“The major difference between successful businesses and the rest is that the successful ones get more stuff done. Deadlines play a big part in that."

Be prepared for the worst

Something like an earthquake took place in my computer system yesterday.

The image on my computer screen started shaking up and down – this was all I needed: a technological breakdown, when I had a pile of work to do.

It took me ages to figure out what the problem was... and when I did, a little advance planning from a long time ago really paid off.