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10 Questions To Ask Before Buying a Business

There are no stupid questions. This is what you should consider when doing your research before buying a business. The more questions you ask, the less risk you will have. But just in case you have no idea where to begin, here is a list of ten questions as a starting point of a thorough investigation. 1 – What are your biggest challenges right now? You want to be aware of potential issues. For instance, if you’re buying a company that will need improvements, you need to know that before deciding to acquire the business. 2 – ...

Jul 15, 2013 | Comments Off

Jul 5, 2013

How to Boost Team Creativity

Being creative is more than just coming up with new ideas for products, or cost reductions. It’s a tool that can be used in many ways and situations. Creative people are better problem solvers and tend to overcome obstacles to reaching goals better than plodders. Research shows that people are much more creative and productive when they feel happy says Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University. Having a hard time coming up with new ideas with your team? A few practical tips to build a more creative team. Learn each team members’ distinctive talents The areas ...

Jul 5, 2013 | Comments Off

Jul 2, 2013

Five Time Management Ideas for Executive Assistants

It is frustrating to constantly feel overloaded with work. Have you ever thought, “I’m sure there’s an easier way of doing this”? Chances are there are, and with the following tips you’ll be able to save time in most of your activities and be happier at work. 1 – Get organized Getting organized is the first thing you should do in the day so all the other activities don’t get jeopardized. Organisation leads to accomplishment while disruption leads to loss of focus, delay of work getting done and ultimately frustration. 2 – Create templates In order to ...

Jul 2, 2013 | Comments Off

Jul 1, 2013

Diary Management Tips for PAs

Managing a busy diary is no simple task – as every PA will know. Some boss’ diaries are so complex, they employ two PAs, one to work on the diary – the ‘diary PA’ – and one to do everything else. In some industries, such as banking, the diary can be as much as 80% of the PA’s work. A good diary manager needs to decisive yet flexible. Flexibility in the diary is something that a number of PAs are afraid of – they live by the ‘once it’s fixed, it’s fixed’ approach and woe betide anyone who asks them to ...

Jul 1, 2013 | 1 Comment

Documents that are commonly used in meetings

For any meeting to take place in a procedural way, there are a few important and necessary documents involved without which the meeting will not go smoothly. The necessary documents for a meeting are: Agenda The meeting agenda is the meeting plan. Document created by the PA, secretary or admin. It is then approved by the chairman and circulated to the other members who will be attending the meeting. It can be distributed either digitally or as hard copies. It is always best to have a few spare copies. It lays out the topics that need to be ...

Jun 23, 2013 | 2 Comments

Minute Taking Guidance

Minutes serve as legal binding documents in many situations and in many organizations and can be produced as evidence of certain discussions and decisions when there are legal challenges in the future. A common job duty of administrative and EAs is to be able to take effective meeting minutes. Whether you are taking minutes at a team meeting or a meeting of the Board of Directors, the skills are pretty much the same. The following is a guide for making this task easier: Before the meeting. Choose your tool: Decide how you will take notes, i.e. pen and paper, ...

Jun 21, 2013 | Comments Off

Business Etiquette – Common Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your career is not understanding that there are certain codes and rules to abide by in the workplace. If you’re not careful, you may even lose opportunities because others are put off by your lack of professionalism. Don’t Listen to Your Music Player in the Elevator. and don’t check your e-mail messages. “Wearing earplugs is like putting a Do Not Disturb sign on you”. It sends a message to colleagues that you want to be left alone, an unfriendly gesture at best. Elevators and hallways are prime spots for friendly, ...

Jun 19, 2013 | 1 Comment

5 Smart Organising Tips For Executive Assistants

Executive assistants provide high-level support to managers and business executives. EAs have more responsibilities compared with entry-level secretaries. Some of the essential tasks of an EA include: working independently to plan, coordinate and organize projects. They supervise, mentor and develop administrative staff, and often have an assistant of their own. To become successful at the job, an EA must have excellent organization and customer service skills. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work well with all levels of management. She/He also must meet deadlines, pay attention to details and maintain a professional appearance at all times. Prioritise/Time Management ...

Jun 5, 2013 | Comments Off

Executive Assistant Interview Questions

This is a great article we’ve found about the most frequently asked interview questions for an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant interview for C-level executives. Some of these are obvious, but it’s really good to have a refresher and they could be really useful. Tell me about yourself. A great chance to sell yourself. Plan well, be precise and practice in front of anyone you can find. Try to touch upon a little bit of your personal self, this will give the interviewer a good insight into your personality. What are your current duties as an Administrative/Executive Assistant? ...

Jun 4, 2013 | 13 Comments

Apr 3, 2013

Eight ideas to help you to be more productive

We share eight easy reminders of ways to make sure your day is more productive, to help you get the most from your day. To-do lists – we all know how essential a to-do list is to an effective day, so make the next day’s list before you leave the office with each item rated based on its importance. This not only helps you focus quickly in the morning and increases the productiveness of your day, it also allows you to leave work at work. Make notes – pen and paper, smart phone, tablet, whichever suits you; ...

Apr 3, 2013 | Comments Off

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