3-in-1 that work as One!

Over the past year we have been searching high and low for a super-efficient business system we can use in TJConsulting and offer to our clients. And finally, after trying and testing, reading 100s of reviews – it’s here.

It consists of 3 parts, but don’t despair – they all work as One, efficient, online, affordable solution. And they are…. Xero, Capsule and MailChimp.

Xero is the accounting system of the 21st century. If you are not an accountant and dread “reconciliation” or “P&L” – this is the system for you. It’s very simple to use, you can access it from anywhere with an Internet connection and it’s secure.

Capsule is an online Contact Relationship Management (CRM) tool that will integrate with Xero – so you only have to enter your data once. You can track leads and conversion, manage information, analyse sales and productivity, and (yet again) it’s very simple to use!

MailChimp is used to send your newsletters, mailshots and autoresponders. Without being repetitive – it’s simple, clean, straightforward. It can send regular newsletters and schedule a series of messages. MailChimp can integrate with a large number of social media networks, Eventbrite (for event bookings) and is a top-rated social media tool (according to mashable.com).

continue

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:

Do you often find that you hire temporary staff in order to cover for a key member of staff (like executive assistants to MDs, office managers) or to cope during the extremely busy periods at work? If so, the new government announcement will have a major impact on your business.

Currently many employment law rights (the right to claim unfair dismissal, the right to a statutory redundancy payment, right to certain minimum periods of notice, etc) are only available to employees. However, the government has announced that it will implement legislation to give greater employment protection to agency workers.

The basic principle is that after 12 weeks work, agency workers should be entitled to equal treatment in terms of pay and “basic working and employment conditions”, compared to their colleagues who are directly employed or engaged by the hiring organisation (you).

So what does “equal treatment” actually mean? Under the draft regulations, agency workers would be entitled to equal treatment in relation to holidays, breaks, overtime, notice period, etc. Equal treatment in relation to “pay” would include basic salary plus other contractual benefits directly linked to the work undertaken by the agency worker. This covers holiday pay, payment for overtime, shift allowances, unsociable hours premiums. However, occupational social security schemes (such as sick pay and occupational pension rights) would be excluded. It is also proposed that from day one agency workers will have equal treatment to on-site facilities, for example, staff crèche, transport facilities, canteen.

Therefore if you regularly engage agency staff on engagements lasting for 12 weeks or more, you will need to review your policies to ensure that agency workers are treated in the same way as you would treat permanent employees.

New rules mostly likely will come into force after October 2011.

The difference between an agency worker and a virtual assistant after October 2011:

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.

Whether you love it or not, Christmas parties are here to stay. With everyone looking to cut spending whilst trying to motivate the staff, planning your annual festivities can give you a real challenge.

Here are our top tips on how to make the planning as stress-free as possible. But remember, our help is always at hand!

1. Find out more about the attendees: who they are, what they liked in the past, what time they can join in and when they will have to leave.
2. Determine and stick to the budget.
3. Use what’s worked in the past, just tweak the details to keep it fresh.
4. Make sure everyone’s diary is clear – send the invitation in advance.
5. Use the opportunity to network with colleagues you don’t normally speak too often to. Build up the relationships!
6. Act as a host – involve those standing or sitting on their own, make sure everyone is comfortable.
7. Liaise closely with the venue to make sure that last minute queries are resolved smoothly.
8. Watch your drink – remember, it’s a social event at work.
9. Write down what worked and what didn’t. Get feedback informally. Next year you will have some great tips to help you plan another party.
10. Event planning companies and Virtual Assistants can do all the running around for you – thus saving your precious time.