How Organized Are You?

Do you ever feel like you are spinning in a million different directions?  Once you start spinning like that things get unorganized.  Here are some quick tips to keep your office running smoothly:

1. Create activity stations within your desk:  I love this tip!  Organize your desk into separate categories.  For example, make a section related to phone work.  Include everything that you would need while on the phone in one space.  That way, when you are on the phone and need to take notes, find a pen, need a phone book, etc. it’s all in one general area of your desk.  Take a look at your desk and your business.  How would you categorize your job responsibilities?  Reflect those categories on your desk and in your files.
2. Process paper daily.  Make sure you either act on it, file it or throw it out!  Try to only handle a piece of paper once.
3. When working on a project or task, keep only those things out that you need to do the task.  Then put everything away when you are done.  This will help keep you focused. 

I hope these simple but effective tips help you in your organization, efficiency and productivity. 

Let’s start a TIP LIST.  Please share with me the tips that help you stay organized in your business life!

Next BLOG:  How to deal with distractions and interruptions

Why Go Virtual?

What’s all the hype?  You hear the term Virtual Assistant but what does it mean?

Virtual Assistant is a fancy way to say “freelancer”.  Basically you can outsource any work, projects or tasks to a Virtual Assistant or VA.  This saves companies a lot of money in overhead expenses such as benefits, Worker’s Comp Insurance, etc.

What should you look for in a VA? 

Some Things to Consider:

• Do the email test – how is their response time?  This will give you a feeling for how dedicated they are
• Get a resume
• Ask for work samples
• Talk to references
• What type of office equipment do they have?
• Most VA’s work out of their home, if you will require them to make phone calls, ask them how quiet their environment is
• Ask for a free trial – an hour’s worth of work to see how they do
• Find out how they organize their day
• How many clients do the currently have
• How established are they in the virtual world?  Do they know current technology and resources available to them?

Hiring a Virtual Assistant can be a leap of faith for some people.  If you do your research you will find this is the best investment you can make to your business.  Many VA’s are talented in various different backgrounds and can wear many different hats while others are very specialized.  What is the right fit for your business?

If you need resources to find a VA for your business, contact me and I can point you in the right direction or if you have questions about VA’s I can answer them for you!

Virtual Assistant On Demand