Webinars – web-based seminars – are becoming more and more popular as online meetings reduce the need for travel, refreshment and accommodation expenses, as well as the associated time out of the office. They can be used to present the information to staff across the globe, to conduct a training session, to have a project or a team meeting. Businesses are no longer restricted by their geographical location, but can reach and talk directly to customers across the world

To organise a webinar,  you need to send out an invitation with a link, which attendees simply click on to be directed to the webinar hosting site. One the screen you will see the list of all attendees, control buttons (like mute and unmute), chat window and the main window where you can share your desktop and any applications you are running (e.g. PowerPoint with slides).

You can require people to register in advance in order to get the participation link. The collected information can be added to your mailing list for future followup with prospects. Offering regular webinars as part of your website monetising strategy can attract more traffic and generate new sales leads.

You can also charge a fee to attend a webinar. Payment can be collected via Paypal or using a shopping cart (see our previous article about this). Audio and video can be recorded during the event, which will enable you to sell it later to any other customers who missed the the event itself. As there is no limit for how long you can be selling the recording – the only limit will be the relevance of the material discussed.

In the business context, recordings can be useful as a record of the meeting – to help your PA or VA collate a list of action points, questions raised, changes to be made to the materials reviewed.

How to host a webinar:

A recent survey by Monster.co.uk asked just under 3000 people “Is overtime considered the norm in your workplace?”

56% find themselves regularly working extra hours for no extra cash. Only 25% are paid for extra work. Only 12% reported that overtime was the exception and 7% said that they were encouraged by managers to leave on time.

Pressures from the recession and the fear to lose the job when the unemployment rate is so high caused many people to work extra hours in the fear of being “replaced”. However, if you don’t have time for extra work – explain why you can’t do it or at least can’t do it within the proposed timescale. Be confident, sincere and calm about it. If you start sounding apologetic your colleagues could assume that with persistence or by ignoring your objections they get you to agree.

At the busiest periods in your business why not use a virtual assistant to help with the additional workload! You don’t need to “hire and fire” a VA all the time, compared with a temporary employee, spending time on training and hand over. A virtual assistant can be a great asset for any business which you can bring on board as and when required, for as many hours per day or per week as you see fit. A VA can help with general administrative duties and well as to cover the skills gap in the business – like updating the website, creating promotional materials, online marketing or book-keeping. If one of your executive assistants if on holiday or off sick, you don’t need to worry about sufficiency of cover provided by other PAs. Using a VA can provide all the support your executives need on a day to day basis.

Contact us now on 020 8144 4594 to find out more and for a free consultation.

Companies need to make more effort to tackle stress, depression and anxiety in the workplace, according to NHS advisors. Simple steps like giving positive feedback, allowing flexible working and giving extra days off as a reward could cut the impact of these conditions by a third, according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Bad managers were the single biggest cause of problems, the group claimed, and said companies were losing £28.3 billion per year in sick days.

NICE has released guidelines highlighting how employers and employees can work in partnership to improve mental wellbeing within the workplace. Professor Mike Kelly, public health excellence centre director, said simple changes would improve the management of mental health in the workplace, including the prevention and early identification of problems. “By following these recommendations an average organisation of 1000 employees can expect to save an estimated £250,000 a year,” he said.

Tips on handling stressful situations:

1. Don’t take it personally: It’s unrealistic to try to figure out what the other person is feeling, thinking or going through at the time, so more productive would be to focus on yourself and your own work.

2. Breathe: Take a few deep breaths, right down to your stomach, stretch your body and feel energised immediately.

3. Manage your priorities: Determine what has to be done now and what can really wait for a few days. Write down a comprehensive To-Do list, schedule time in your diary and stick to it. Don’t be afraid to say No to colleagues when you are already overloaded with work. And if in doubt – check deadlines with your manager before assuming the worst.

4. Respond gracefully: It’s about how you choose to respond to a conflict at work. Don’t become the doormat or a victim of bullying or harassment, but sometimes walking away speaks for itself. Don’t spill your negativity behind people’s backs, spread rumours or treat others unfairly.

5. Relax and take a break: Take a holiday or even go for a walk at your lunchtime break. Have a 5-min tea break. Go to the shop and buy an apple (chocolates will make you feel good first but you will end up with an energy slump as sugar level dip quickly afterwards). Do some yoga or meditation and follow the first 4 steps.