Do you back up the information on your computer?

Unfortunately disasters happen. There are natural disasters such as floods, fires, etc and there are the computer generated disasters such as hard drive failures, which can destroy your data and your business as well.

Backing up your data can mean simply burning a CD or DVD with a copy of essential files or this can also be done with a flash drive. You can also back up to online platforms such as iCloud or Dropbox.

You should set a regular date for your backups, either daily, weekly or monthly. The frequency will depend on the amount of data you add, update and change on a regular basis.

Regards,
Barb

So we’re into the new year, all fresh from our Christmas break and ready for business. January can sometimes be a quiet month as life gets back to normal, so here are few things that you can do in your business to prepare you for a sizzling 2012!!

1. Review your website - make sure it’s up to date and maybe give it a bit of a “face lift”.
2. Do your budget – boring I know, but it’s really important to know what you expect and then you can see how you’re tracking during the year.
3. Make sure your 2012 business plan is ready to go – break it down into quarters, it’s easier to focus when it’s in smaller chunks!
4. Ask for tesitmonials - if you have a client who you have a good relationship with, why not ask them for a testimonial?
5. Update your skills - this doesn’t have to be going back to the classroom, you can do some courses on-line or read a book!
6. Check that your database is up to date - this can be a tedious task, but your client database is an integral part of your business so there’s no point in having incorrect or out dated information.
7. Organise your office and files – not only your hard copy files, but also your computer files. You’ll be surprised how much stuff you accumulate over the year.

I hope 2012 is a fantastic year for us all.

Regards,
Barb

When communicating via email, it’s really important to get your message across in the most professional and courteous way, while making it easy for the recipient to read.

Here are some useful tips:
• Prompt reply
• Don’t write in capital letters as this can be seen as YELLING!
• Use proper language (i.e. no jargon unless you know the recipient understands it, no abbreviations or acronyms)
• Correct use of punctuation & grammar (including paragraphs, etc)
• Spell check prior to sending (this can be automatically set in Outlook, so you don’t have to remember!)
• Be concise and to the point
• Ensure your email signature has the correct contact information, but not too much information or too busy.

Remember that your email is a reflection of your professionalism and can be the first impression to someone.

Regards,
Barb

For the month of August we are supporting a fantastic organisation, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Australia, whereby we are donating 10% of our sales for the month.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare, inherited disease that results in the loss of nerves in the spinal cord and weakness of the muscles connected with those nerves. It is the the number 1 genetic killer of children under the age of 2 years old.

To find out more about this organisation, please visit www.smaaustralia.org.au

What are they worth to you?

This is the average time per month spent on unavoidable administration tasks in a small business.
Typing up meeting notes, proof reading your articles, data entry, arranging travel and accommodation, following up on marketing campaigns, all of these tasks are valuable and core functions in your business but ultimately distracts you from focussing on making money.

With this in mind, is it really cheaper to do it yourself?

Imagine how much more you could get done if;

• Your prospects are followed up and qualified for you
• The actions from your first morning meeting are in motion while you attend your second
• The new leads from an event are impressed to be followed up before the week is out
• Your documents are all formatted and proof read for you

There is no end to the array of services we can provide you at a price that is affordable, and as you build trust and realise the potential of your designated assistant, you will naturally feel comfortable delegating more and more tasks.

Regards,
Barb