Blog - Page 5 of 6 -

How easy is it to outsource data entry and reporting to a virtual PA?

Staying informed about customer habits and industry trends is essential to continued success as a business, but finding the time to process and make sense of data can be tricky.

Of course data is not just about targeting customers; businesses and individuals rely heavily on data whether it is processing stock, research purposes or improving operational efficiency.

What data does have in common is that collating, processing and compiling reports takes time. Accuracy is essential so there is no room for shortcuts.

Choosing to outsource data entry and reporting

An easy solution to quickly and efficiently use data is to seek the assistance of a virtual PA and outsource data entry and reporting.

Rather than adding to the workload of existing staff or taking on a temp with non-specific experience, a virtual PA can work to demand and bring a wealth of experience to get the job done to the highest standards.

A major plus point of using a PA to outsource data entry and reporting is that the project can be ongoing and managed at regular intervals if needed, rather than waiting for a stack of information to be in place.

By sharing online documents that feed data directly to a virtual PA, data uploads can be managed on a rolling basis. Depending on the method of data capture, this information can be emailed, shared or sent across as and when needed.

Accurate, fast and professional

Virtual PAs boast a wide portfolio of skills and have extensive experience of compiling reports. As such when it comes to choosing to outsource data entry and reporting you can rest assured that the results will be presented clearly, concisely and accurately.

With communication easily established any problems with data discrepancies can be promptly flagged up with the client, who can remain secure in the knowledge that a professional PA service is committed to accuracy.

Having a sound working knowledge of relevant software and fast but accurate typing skills makes a virtual PA an ideal choice when deciding to outsource data entry and reporting.

If you are looking to outsource data entry and reporting contact New Dawn PA to find out how we can help.

Five reasons why a virtual PA can handle research projects better than you can

Research can be hugely time-consuming but is an absolute necessity when making informed decisions and presenting evidence.

Love it or loathe it, thorough research is the bedrock on which good decisions are made. After all if you do not have all the facts to hand how can you be sure you have made the right decision?

Business research can take on many forms and is an important part of growth and establishing a place in the market.

Studying shopper habits to promote sales, investigating more efficient production methods, finding more effective software or analysing competition all take dedicated research.

Finding the time to do that research and to do it well can be incredibly challenging. Here are five reasons why it makes sense to ask a virtual PA to take on that research project on your behalf:

Deadlines

The search for answers can appear endless – and indeed that search could be endless without a strict timeframe and objectives being put in place and followed.

In asking a virtual PA to undertake research on your behalf the organisation that underpins a successful research project will immediately be put into place. A deadline will be set from day one and a clear time for completion set.

It’s business as usual

Busy running your own business already? It is easy to feel like there is not enough hours in the day and the commitment to time required for a research project can add to daily demands. Let a virtual PA undertake the research that will let your company grow without distracting from the hard work of running a business.

Focus

A virtual PA will be able to dedicate the uninterrupted time needed to complete a research task well. Getting distracted by phone calls, meetings and staff concerns is only to be expected in a busy office and will certainly disrupt research.

Admin skills

Finding the facts is just one part of a research project, compiling that into useable data is another. With excellent typing and organisational skills a virtual PA will present the complete package.

Speed

A virtual PA knows where to look for information, is adept at handling and processing information and data swiftly, well-versed in creating spread sheets and can quickly transcribe audio recordings. This makes compiling research a far quicker process. Rather than struggle to decipher audio from a focus group or convert data let a virtual PA get the job done quickly and efficiently.

For help completing, or getting started, on a research project get in touch to find out how New Dawn can help.

How can transcription and audio typing save you time and money?

Face to face meetings are the perfect forum to make decisions and thrash out contract details but sharing a written account can be incredibly time-consuming.

If you rely on forums and meetings to formulate ideas and move business forward as quickly as possible, transcribing audio recordings can seriously bite into your time afterwards.

How can transcription services help?

This is just one of the ways transcription services can save you time and money, after all while a virtual assistant deciphers audio recordings you can be busy at the next meeting.

It is not just business meetings that require a written account of a spoken conversation. Transcription services can be useful in a number of situations, including:

· Research interviews

· Motivational seminars

· Legal proceedings

· Media interviews

· Conference calls

· Briefings

With multiple people often speaking and interruptions distorting audio recordings, transcription services are ideal to decipher and record an accurate note of what is being heard.

Typing speed may be one aspect that gets the job done quicker but experience of what needs to be included and the need to distinguish voices can be incredibly tricky and time-consuming.

Let a professional transcriber put their skills to the test instead of your patience.

Get the job done quicker with an audio typist

Speed, of course, is usually what matters most when getting a job done, particularly when it comes to getting documents issued to deadlines.

As a general rule people speak between 125 and 150 words per minute, while the average typing speed is 40 wpm.

A recording that lasts just five minutes take will a considerable amount of time to convert into writing, never mind a two-hour focus group.

Trained typists have speed on their side – with 80 wpm being a very good speed and 120 wpm being exceptional.

The figures speak for themselves – why struggle to meet deadlines when a virtual assistant could transcribe a recording in half the time?

It is not just about transcribing tricky forums or lengthy interviews, audio typing services help to get vital day to day tasks cleared while you concentrate on other aspects of the business.

Dictating a letter, briefing or operating procedure can be far quicker than sitting down to type it and check it is up to scratch. Audio typing will save you time when issuing:

· General correspondence

· Employment offers

· Staff memos

· Replying to complaints

· Updating company policy

Instead of getting behind with paperwork, delegate time-consuming jobs to an audio typist, freeing up your time to concentrate on tasks that support revenue growth.

New Dawn offers both audio typing and transcription services, to find out more get in touch.

New Dawn PA takes on the DIY SOS challenge for Alice Charity

New Dawn PA recently teamed up with nine other Staffordshire-based businesses to take part in a DIY SOS-style challenge.

Organiser Vicky Stanaway, Managing Director of TukTuk Creative Marketing, began rallying fellow business owners to give up their time to support a local single mother in need. Read the full story here, or watch the video below:

Thanks go to: Organiser Vicky Stanaway, and volunteers Jemma Hancock from Jemma Hancock Photography, Jane Jackson of Just Mortgages, Sarah White from M-Viron and BforB Staffordshire, Matthew Dashper-Hughes of Office Prime Supplies, Hannah Quinn of VideoHQ, Jo Cook from Bright Butterfly Hypnotherapy and Coaching and Vanessa Fuller from Premier Tax Solutions who all donned overalls and rubber gloves to take on the challenge and Jo Dawson from Miss DIY who also donated her time and expertise, helping the team with do-it-yourself queries.

If you would like to help Alice Charity in any way, then get in touch with them here: Alice Charity.

Running – or running a business – stay fit for the challenge

New challenges can bring out the best in us, they can also test us to our limits, but it is in finding our strengths that we build the road to success.

This is very true when building up a new business. Long-term success will be more of a marathon than a sprint but with the right support in place you can enjoy every step.

Lots of parallels can be drawn between taking up a sporting challenge and a business challenge. Enthusiasm is a great energiser and those early days of getting a business off the ground, just like the first few runs in training for a half-marathon, are uplifting and filled with positivity for the challenges ahead.

Like all new starters you will eventually hit your stride and enjoy a comfort in your knowledge, expertise and client base. This is the point we strive to in business and sport – we want to enjoy what we do, safe in the knowledge that we can do it well.

Heal your pressure points

Maintaining that level of service and effort while continuing to hit targets can be hard work. Expectations grow and unexpected setbacks can cost precious time, but the right help and support will set you back on track in no time. As Dawn so succinctly summed up with the following poem, New Dawn PA Services can provide the admin support to resolve the issue that has become a sore point:

Running a business – and the comparisons

Starting running?
Or starting running a business?
Both are hard at first
But you have a goal to reach so you work harder
After a while you seem to get into your stride and begin to enjoy it
Then…injury…a setback
Maybe a lack of certain skills, or you have too many clients to look after That other areas begin to suffer
I can be the magnesium oil to soothe your sore muscles
The deep heat to soothe your admin pain points
Either way, there will be some kind of task that I can help make easier for you

The message is don’t struggle – ask for the support that you need. If you are battling to complete your admin while juggling client demands, make that call. With the support of New Dawn’s PA Services your business will be fit for the future.

To find out more about how New Dawn PA Services can help your business get in touch.

Punch through procrastination and get organised

We’re all guilty of putting things off or postponing the inevitable. This can be a good trait, especially if you’re weighing up the pros and cons of a big or difficult decision that has significant consequences. But there are some people who really need to just ‘get on with it’. These people are procrastinators and some it would seem, are serial experts at it. You may chuckle reading this, recollecting a period of your own procrastination but it can all too often be the root of a serious problem if you do not look at planning your workload.

Nip procrastination in the bud

Procrastination can affect you emotionally, manifesting itself in the form of negative feelings or a small internal voice that will always put something off until tomorrow and speak louder and more frequently than your real voice. Think about it, if you keep putting off chasing a bad debt, wouldn’t it eventually lead to limited cash flow? Unnecessary stress? Inadequate funds to invest? Potential loss of assets, even staff? It’s your choice to do something about it and it’s best to get on with it. Ask yourself, what’s the worst that could happen?

And what if you took so long perfecting the marketing tactics for your new product launch that overnight your competitor stole the thunder that should belong to you?

Many problems are unnecessary but procrastinators fail to see that they are the ones creating drawbacks in the first place. Short-term fulfillment is often chosen over long-term advancement.

How to spot your inner procrastinator

Typical characteristics of a procrastinator include:

Struggling with self control
The inability to delegate
Chronic lateness
Underestimating the time it takes to complete a project
A lack of goal setting
Feelings of anxiety
To-do lists that never reduce
Tackling the simple tasks first

Procrastination can affect your reputation. It can impact the reputation of your company if you are seen to delay decisions or fail to act upon something your customers, colleagues or suppliers see as important to them.

Whilst a virtual personal assistant such as myself can offer a guiding light for procrastinators it’s often a realisation challenge that has to be overcome. Procrastinators first need to understand they have a problem and then accept it.

So ask yourself honestly, do you relate to the above behaviours?

If you do, delegating mundane tasks or projects that you distain is a good start. It will free up time and prevent you from using easy chores as an excuse to put off the important, often more challenging tasks. Organising regular admin chores and staying on top of financial requirements will save much time. Choosing to plough through a chunky task as your first of the day will bring more pleasure when you reach the shorter, easier tasks. In fact, break down a chunky task into smaller, more manageable chunks to give the appearance of a much easier project.

Challenge procrastination – break the habit

Seize the day, review your workload and get organised. Get good at communicating with others to motivate and push forward. Set goals – daily, weekly and monthly – and hold yourself accountable (or ask someone else to).

Unfortunately, procrastination is a state of mind so it takes will power to make a difference and break the ‘put it ‘off’ pattern of addiction. Instill a sense of self-belief and a go-getter attitude. Change your behaviours and get into good, regular habits of getting stuff done.

Never question anything (small) more than twice!

Do you have any tips to keep procrastination at bay? Have you ever been in a procrastination spiral? And what made the difference for you?

Giving the gift of time – will it make you more productive?

We have just been through Black Friday and Cyber Monday…well did you know that today is #GivingTuesday.

This is the day to give something back, perhaps to your favourite charity, or perhaps to others less fortunate than yourself. I have a few charities which I give to over the course of a year. In 2017, we (myself and Richard my BH) gathered sponsorship of just over £1,000 for Cancer Research for a 100 mile bike ride, and if I buy Christmas cards, they are always for a charitable cause (The Donkey Sanctuary this year).

But what about giving the gift of time?

Have you ever thought about how an extra hour (or two) would benefit you, your business, a client’s business? Do you ever wonder where last week, last month, this year went to, and how there are STILL tasks outstanding that you wanted to achieve?

Well, why not treat yourself, or your client, to the gift of time this Christmas. Maybe outsource something that has been bugging you for a while, and use that extra time available, to do something you love.

Speak to me about it now…

How to spot your most productive times to achieve more in less time

You have heard the phrases ‘night owl’ or ‘early bird’ but have you ever thought about which side of noon you feel most comfortable?

Knowing how your body clock ticks can highlight productivity hot spots in your working day. Once identified, the chances of achieving far more in significantly less time offers very realistic opportunities – especially if you’re a time-starved professional or business owner struggling to find balance in your work/life routine.

Flexible routines

Our working day has evolved with many workers enjoying staggered hours and flexitime. This is partly due to government legislation but also because we now realise that flexible working – splitting time between the office and at home and ‘hot desking’ – actually improves performance.

As a business owner one of the main attractions is to be your own boss but in many cases, the business owner simply becomes a slave to their own business rather than someone else’s.

Did you know that 84% of business owners work well over the average 40 hours per week? I’m sure that’s not what you set out to achieve therefore inefficiencies need to be identified. Research suggests that 50+ hours per week reduces productivity levels and deep down we know this to be true. So what’s the answer? It could be identifying your superhero hours.

What causes inefficient use of time?

There are many elements that interrupt patterns of productivity, even your own personality, behaviours and bad habits. As a starting point, if you can identify with any of the following, you may be getting distracted from the job at hand:

· Distractions – think email and social media

· Lack of planning – think lack of lists and reminders

· Multitasking – juggling tasks and reacting to requests

· Last minute tasks – everything seems to be rushed

· Procrastinating – putting off the inevitable

· Under-estimating time

All of the above can be stressful, especially if you’re poor at planning and have a reactive nature. Take time out and draw up a list of your ideal working day – how much do you need (or want) to achieve? What interruptions do you normally encounter and what has to take place at a specific time such as the school run, meetings or phone calls.

For one week, keep a time log for every task – this will help you to identify patterns of productivity and the times of day that you clear more work or get caught up with mundane tasks.

Make a note of how you feel whilst working on certain types of tasks and also times of the day. If you feel tired or unable to concentrate then you should take a break. Peak productivity may see you focused on one project for an hour but then you may find the Facebook feed has popped up and distracted you. Is this a pattern at certain times of the day? Work colleagues may also have opinions to share – have they seen you with your eyes closed at 2pm?!

Studies appear to show that we work in cycles of 90-120 minutes but only you can identify a true pattern of productivity but as a general rule, try to separate tasks and only focus on one project at a time. Split up large projects so that they appear smaller.

· Turn off distractions

· Set specific times for checking email and social media

· Take regular breaks, especially if you work at a computer or sit down all day

· Check your monitor brightness and sitting position

· Ensure you get plenty of fresh air

Once you feel your ideal working patterns have been identified try to:

· Use peak times for complex problem solving

· Complete routine, small, easy tasks during energy dips or at the end of the day

· Take a break when your body needs it

Different routines work for different people, roles and industries. What tips can you share and are there any techniques that have worked for you?

Have you scrapped your New Year Resolutions yet?

They can sometimes be fun, or a challenge depending on the outcome you are looking toward.

We all make them, whether we officially name them “Resolutions” or “Goals” but at this time of year it is perhaps the most common time to evaluate how you have progressed over the last 12 months and where you plan to be this time next year!

Resolutions can feel a little like rules, which are often broken if they are made in haste as you “felt you had to” just because it is the beginning of a new year.

This year is different for me. I will set my goals and focus areas for the next 12 months as I always do, but instead of rushing to get them all finalised on paper over the first few days of January, I am taking time to assess the last 12 months of my business and personal life. To take note of the best times, and the “not so” best times and work towards a fabulous 2013.

To help me plan the steps to get there I will be attending Alison Bradford’s “Business Breather Session – Kick Ass Goals for 2013” which I am looking forward to. A dedicated time and space to think about what I want to achieve throughout the coming months: http://januarybusinessbreather.eventbrite.co.uk/

I am also reading “52 Mondays: The One Year Path to Outrageous Success & Lifelong Happiness” by Vic Johnson. Yes I know it’s an ambitious title, but the biggest goals are best reached with the smallest of steps along the way.

So by all means, write down that list of things you want to get to grips with this year, I have, and it has brought to my attention the areas which need more work in my business. It will also be something to look back on to see how you are progressing through the year.

But if you only do one thing, make sure it is written down and you are accountable for it….. and then constantly work towards it.

End of an era….or just the beginning??

There is nothing more satisfying then helping a client get through to the end of a project, on time and to their expectations.

As a VA, I work alongside a company that install wind turbines – their projects are always time dependant and definitely depend on getting certain things in place and active before another part of the project can move forward.

This month has been especially busy in the respect of Government legislation and Feed in Tariff changes. All projects had to be completed and connected to the National Grid by 30^th November otherwise they would take a decreased FiT rate, which with such large projects, would not have made the clients happy to have missed by a few days. It is a lovely feeling to hear how relieved and happy they all are this week.

It feels slightly like coming to the end of an era though. We are happy that our clients have completed their projects and the installers can take a rest for a few days/weeks……. but we have plans! There are open days to organise and many more potential clients that are currently in the planning stages who we are ready to assist when they get the green light!

So whilst December may slow down for some people and clients, we are getting ready for the New Year and will be stronger for it!! How are you planning for 2013 and will you be stronger for it?