That’s right everyone can do admin!

 Administration, Blog, Efficiency, Virtual Assistance  No Responses »
Oct 162013
 

It’s no secret, everyone is able to do admin, but is it the most effective use of your time?

Yes you may be able to create your own newsletter, type a letter, format a document, build a PowerPoint presentation and update your website, however a person who specialises in administration would probably take less time to do the job as they would be focusing on what they are good at.

Ask yourself a couple of questions:

  • do I enjoy administration
  • am I good at administration
  • is doing my own administration it the most effective way to use my time

If you answered no to any of these questions, then maybe it’s time to consider an alternative solution to get your admin done so you can focus on the tasks that allow you to better utilise your time and stop spending so much time in the office.

There are a number of options to consider a full-time assistant, a part-time assistant a temporary assistant or a Virtual Assistant.  While these are all great options a Virtual Assistant (VA) has some great benefits including support being provided on an as needed basis, a VA has extensive office experience so no training or recruiting costs, and you only pay for the time worked and not for unproductive time or coffee breaks and no need to pay sick or annual leave or superannuation.  Click here to read more of the benefits of partnering with a VA.

Now imagine how much more productive you would be if you were able to focus on your customers and doing what you do best, and with little time and effort from yourself, your emails are being screened, your website is staying up to date, your documents are looking professional, your social media accounts are active, and you are keeping your clients informed with a regular newsletter, you may even have more time to enjoy your weekend or to spend with family and friends.

If you would like to find out how a VA can create more time in your day, contact me for an obligation free assessment on paula@wynbs.com or 0411 047 545.

Manage Your Inbox

 Blog, Efficiency, Tips  No Responses »
Sep 182013
 

Do you find your Inbox in Outlook is always overflowing or filling up with emails?  Although most emails have a purpose, not all of them need to be dealt with straight away.

A good strategy to follow is the 4 D’s – Delete it, Delegate it, Do it (if it can’t be done in 2mins), defer it.

 

 To help manage your Inbox, why not set up email rules to direct emails to various sub directory’s for reading and actioning at a later date.  Here’s how:

1. Create appropriate sub-directory’s in your inbox, such as by Personal Info, or by Client Name.

2. Create rules, to direct emails to the appropriate sub-directory.

  • Right Click on the email in your inbox
  • Select ‘Create Rule’ (a pop up box appears)
  • In the first section, select the first box ‘From email address’ (recommended)
  • In the “Do the Following” Section, select ‘Move the item to folder’
  • Click on the ‘Select Folder’, and choose the appropriate folder to direct it to.  At this stage you can create a new folder if an appropriate folder doesn’t exist.
  • Click ‘OK’, another pop-up box will be displayed, stating ‘the rule has been created’.
  • Select the box ‘Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder’, and select OK.
  • Emails in your inbox that fit this rule, will disappear from your inbox, and you should be able to find them in the appropriate folder.

Just remember to check your sub-directory’s on a regular basis, so you don’t miss anything urgent. 

I recently cam across this article by James Wilson of Henry & Horne outlining 4 ways to Take Control of your inbox. Read it here.

Keyboard Shortcuts to Help you Work More Efficiently

 Blog, Efficiency, Microsoft, Tips  No Responses »
Aug 062013
 

Did you know you can use your keyboard, rather than your mouse, to control your computer? 

When I first started using a computer I learnt Word Perfect, and I’m showing my age when I admit that this was before having a mouse was normal, so everything was done via keyboard.  As the mouse became more popular and programs changed to suit the mouse’s uses, as a typist, I continued to use keyboard shortcuts as I find this is quicker than taking my hand from the keyboard to use the mouse.

Almost any action you can perform with a mouse you can perform with a keyboard.  By learning some of the basic keyboard shortcuts you can learn to work more efficiently.

Here is a list of useful shortcuts for everyday use in Microsoft programs:

  • Alt + Tab – Switch between open programs
  • Ctrl + O or Alt+F+O – Open a file
  • Ctrl + N or Alt+F+N – New document
  • Ctrl + S or Alt+F+S – Save current file or document
  • Ctrl + P or Alt+F+P – Print document
  • Alt + F4 – Close file or document
  • Ctrl + Z – Undo an action
  • Ctrl + Y – Redo an action
  • Ctrl + Home – Move to the top of the document
  • Ctrl + End – Move to the end of the document
  • Ctrl + X – Cut
  • Ctrl + C – Copy
  • Ctrl + V – Paste
  • Ctrl + A – Select All
  • Ctrl + Shift + C – Copies the formatting of selected text
  • Ctrl + Shift + V – applies the copied formatting to a new selection
  • Windows Key+E – open Windows Explorer
  • Windows Key+M – minimize all of your open windows, leaving just the desktop left exposed.
  • Windows Key+Shift+M – restores the window
  • Ctrl+Arrow Keys – in Microsoft Word, the left and right arrows allow you to move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word or the next word; the up and down arrows will do the same with paragraphs.
  • Shift + Arrow Keys – Hold shift and press one of the arrow keys will highlight text in Word (or a group of Excel cells)
  • Ctrl+U – Underline Text
  • Ctrl+B – Bold Text
  • Ctrl+I – Italicize text

Most of the Microsoft Office programs have more shortcuts; to find them; you can do the following:

  • Office 2007 and prior – Open a menu and if there is a shortcut available it is listed next to the menu item.
  • Microsoft 2010 or later – When you click Alt you will note letters/numbers are shown above the menu items, click the letter/number to take you to that menu item.

For a more details list of keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Programs, click here.

Hopefully this will make your day a little more productive.

 

What is your favourite keyboard shortcut is?