/April_2011

REAL ADMIN NEWS FOR REAL ADMIN WORKERS

April 2011

THE ADMIN REPORT

THE ADMIN REPORT WELCOME NOTE Welcome to the third issue of The Admin Report, written by admin workers for admin workers everywhere.

Each month there will be different articles based on topics and issues that are relevant to you and if you would like to submit any articles or express any This newsletter discusses issues or opinions let me the admin world, office know so I can submit them issues, and any other office into this newsletter. related topics specifically written for administration This month I will be workers, virtual assistants, focussing on Event clerical officers, office Management, Bookmanagers, receptionists keeping Woes, Top 20 iPad and any other admin Apps for Business and based profession. many more articles that

hopefully you will find interesting and informative.

To contact me for any comments you have on any articles or topic submissions, please don’t hesitate to contact me: reneech@westnet.com.au

Enjoy

☺

Renee Chapman The Admin Chick www.theadminchick.com.au

For article submission or comments, contact Renee at reneech@westnet.com.au

In this Issue: • Welcome Note • Event Management • Bookkeeping Woes • Top 20 iPad Apps • Customer Service Part 2 • Events • Who Is?

THE ADMIN REPORT April 2011

Event Management Most people have been involved in organising a social event such as a birthday party or other type of meeting. Here I will list the most important factors that need to be considered in event management.

• Planning - As with most things we do, planning helps things to run smoothly & is essential for any event success. You need to identify the purpose & goal of the event & make sure sure that you document this. Also important is making contingency plans in case things don’t happen as expected and who will attend the event.

Some of the main documents you will need to are the Agenda, Budget, Minutes, Program, Timelines, Letters, Registrations, Insurance Policies & Reports. As well as these you may need promotional media and invitations. For templates of any of these items you can always visit my website at The Admin Chick.

• Venue & Facilities - You also need to know where the event will take place, & organise a suitable venue. Things to consider are: the type of event you need such as a hotel, or garden venue, etc.

Facilities such as disabled access, close to the airport, etc. The size of the venue & event, the hire price & price per person, amenities available, is it easy to access?, do you need to have a banquet or just light refreshments? Do you need attendees to stay for more than 1 night? If so, you’ll need accommodation & travel, can you get a package deal with this venue.

• Budget - The Budget is vital to how much you can or are willing to spend on this type of event and all factors much be considered, even from the tiniest detail such as mints on each table, it all adds up.

How are you going to fund it? is there is a set price per person or do you have sponsorship for the event?

• Dates & Times - Make sure you plan way in advance of the date you intend on this event starting. Is this date and time good for everyone that is attending? Can your speakers be there at this time & date? and is it going to be in the right climate or atmosphere for such an event?

• Speakers & Attendees - Who will come to your event? Do you need to arrange travel details of your speakers? Is there an incentive for attending or being a guest speaker? Have you given them enough time to decide if they want to part of the event or not?

• Marketing & Sponsorship- What type of media are you going to use? Will you fax, email, print invites, Market it online or traditional methods like newspapers? These are all factors you need to ask on how you let people know about your event.

Sponsorship is a priority & it is reasonable for sponsors to expect a form of exposure like logos, etc. Is there something valuable you can offer potential sponsors? As you can see there’s a lot to think about when trying to organise a great event.

Bookkeeping Woes Most people know that bookkeeping is any process that involves the recording of financial transactions. I think biggest hurdle is trying to get the ‘best’ system out there for a reasonable price. Here I’ve listed 3 ways that have been popular for a long while & the pros & cons of each.

computer, but there are some drawbacks. Internet connections may cause a loss of data if your in the middle of working & internet security measures is a must nowadays. Quickbooks & MYOB are also going online to provide a universal way of doing your books. You can also connect the ATO & your • Software Programs- I think just about accountant easily. everyone has heard of the software • Do it Yourself - Personally I have my own giants, Quickbooks and MYOB, these system of spreadsheets & charts which I are the most favoured programs among find is the easiest way for me to learn bookkeepers. The good thing about about the process of accounting & these types of software is that they have bookkeeping. I do my own financial been around for a long time & are easy reports, accounting, BAS, Tax etc. I know to get your hands on. The worst thing is you might be thinking that’s so much that some of them do cost a lot & are more work & it is, but I’m the type of mostly only accessible to Windows Users. person who likes to know where my I also have found that some of the money is going & where it comes from & programs out there are very hard to use it is definitely cheaper than the other and are not really easy to learn. alternatives for me at the moment. It • Online - Xero is a system that runs online also makes me feel that i have a good and is fairly simple to use. You don’t understanding of the processes involved have to worry about backups, etc, or in having my own business. need to have a certain type of

“Never call an accountant a credit to his profession; a good accountant is a debit to his profession”.

For article submission or comments, contact Renee at reneech@westnet.com.au

Charles Lyell

THE ADMIN REPORT April 2011

Top 20 iPad Apps for Business “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Steve Jobs

With so many Apps out there in “iLand” I thought I would put together a collection of the best 20 iPad apps that I have used.

This article lists Paid & Free Apps for business users, operators, workers and the like. So if you’re open to a bit of mobility in your life check these apps out, some of them will change the way conduct business forever!

PAID Quick Office Connect - $17.99 (Well worth it) To Do for iPad - $5.99 (Essential for Daily lists) Analytics HD - $8.99 (Great for Website owners) Wyse Pocket Cloud - $17.99 (Connect to your PC Free Edition too) Bills For iPad - $4.99 (Great Finance App) ICS Viewer - $2.49 (For calendar attachments) My Tax Comprehensive - $7.99 (Tax calculators) iThoughts HD - $12.99 (Mind Mapping App) SWOT Maker - $3.99 (For making decisions) GoodReader - $5.99 (File System for Folders) Pages, Numbers & Keynote - $12.99 each Downloads HD - $3.99 (Download anything) Bento - $5.99 (Databases for iPad) Time Master + Billing - $12.99 ( Free version as well) Meeting Mate - $3.99 (take notes at meetings) Daily Notes and To Do - $5.99 Meeting Pad - $8.99 Fax Print Share - $7.99 Pocket Resume $3.99 (Free version as well) 1001 Letters - $5.99 (Free version as well)

Others worthy of a mention are Shifty ($9.99), ReAddle ($5.99), Contacts Journal,($4.99), Contractor’s App Box ($14.99) and MindNode ($7.99) & Quota ($2.49) of course.

FREE Dropbox - (Absolutely Essential Online Storage) WordPress - (For your blog entries) Resco Mobile Business - (Enough Said) Tap Typing - (Test your Typing) Kindle - (Read your books on iPad) EasyBooks - (The best bookkeeping App!) Entrepreneur - (For the magazine) Simple MInd - (Mind Mapping App) Yellow Pages - (Australian Version) Send Stuff Now - (Send files anywhere) Go To Meeting - (Attend meetings anywhere) E-Task - (Project Management Dragon Dictation - (Dictation for Free) Citrix - (Virtual PC) Team Viewer - (Track other workers) Documents Free - (Enough Said) Reload Audit - (Manage your Website) Australia Post - (Postage and other features) Jumsoft Money - (Finance on the go) ABC iView - (ABC News & TV on iPad) Other Notable Free iPad Apps are, Sales Beaver, Chimpadeedoo, HootSuite and theres heaps of others to choose from.

Up Coming Events * OVIAC & IVAC On the third Friday of May, that’s May 20, 2011, the OIVAC recognizes the “spirit of the Virtual Assistants industry” and our contributions to our clients’ business growth and development by celebrating International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD). Also the Convention will be held from May 19th -21st, with lots of fun to be had by everyone attending, for more visit www.oivac.com

* Volunteers Week Its almost time to thank a volunteer and what better way than to support the vollies you know by advertising it. Visit NVA for free resources on how you can contribute & celebrate.

* National Sorry Day Let’s acknowledge the wrong that has been done to indigenous families, so that the healing process can begin. Sorry Day is in remembrance of mistreatment of the Aboriginal people and not only to the children involved in the Stolen Generation. Many politicians, from both sides of the house, participated.

For article submission or comments, contact Renee at reneech@westnet.com.au

THE ADMIN REPORT April 2011

Customer Service Pt 2

Dealing With Difficult Clients Difficult Clients are people who demonstrate that they are indeed angry, frustrated or highly emotional. We can deal with these types of people by changing our reactions to the difficult behaviours they may express.

Every experience a client or customer has with us is a moment of truth, they will judge the whole organisation or your whole business by the experiences they have. It all comes down to how we handle ourselves in difficult situations. Every situation should be seen as an opportunity for relationship building even though it may not seem like that in some circumstances.

Some factors that may be able to assist you in certain situations are as follows: Effective & Active Listening- I covered this area in my last edition but will add a few more points.

Give the person space to tell the issue their way, don’t interrupt them or start talking about yourself.

Paraphrase & ask them questions so you get a clear picture of the problem & acknowledge their feelings by telling them what you observe such as “You seem a little upset, is there anything I can help

you with?” Things to avoid are doing other tasks when the person is talking, make sure you give the person speaking your undivided attention so they know you are listening and showing them the respect they deserve.

Try not to take it personally & try to have a bit of Empathy. When a client is rude or angry, its only natural to feel defensive. It feels like we’re getting blamed for something that’s not our fault. But we have to realise that the person is upset & they would do the same to whoever they came across.

What they are effectively doing is venting their anger at someone & want someone to listen to their query and do something about it.

You have to see the situation from their point of view and put yourself in their shoes, what would you do?

Win/Win Approach - Focus on the issue and ask questions about what the person needs. Try to offer

Who is Linda Hirachi?

My Australian Secretary

Linda Hirachi Owner of My Australian Secretary.

She loves helping others and typing work.

Linda is the owner of My Australian Secretary, a boutique virtual secretarial business providing executive support to small business. What she loves doing most is typing, and she’s been practicing for about 20 years! Helping others is something else she gets satisfaction from. Although she has worked in various industries, she has a strong background in volunteering, with a particular interest in the State Emergency Service. Personal development and caring for the environment are also important to her.

On the business front, Linda assists small businesses from her own office,

“A Customer complaint is a gift, it lets us know what we need to change in order to keep our customers & clients delighted and they are the best advocates for our services, we definitely don’t want them to be bad advocates & drive other potential customers away.”

options that are of high value to them & easy for you to give, but don’t make promises you can’t keep. For example you could say “ I can help you with this, but I can’t help you with that, but, I can get someone else to help you with that” Follow Up - When you have Listened, Acknowledge the person’s feelings, got a clear picture of the issue and offered your assistance, follow up. The next time you see that person come in, or even down the street, ask them how they went. You want the person to know that you remember them. Also thank them for bringing the problem to your attention.

Personally I aim to give clients the WOW factor so they can leave with a positive experience, instead of a bad one. completing and delivering work on a virtual or electronic basis. Australian’s normally think to employ staff to complete this type of work onsite instead of outsourcing. You can save yourself money and time if you outsource to those who work virtually. Technology has come a long way!

My Australian Secretary is located in Swan Valley, Perth, WA. If you would like to know more, please visit: www.myaustraliansecretary.com.au or www.facebook.com/ myaustraliansecretary Would you like to be the next “Who Is” then contact me at reneech@westnet.com.au

For article submission or comments, contact Renee at reneech@westnet.com.au