“What do you do?”

Mar 312011
 
 March 31, 2011  Office, Organising, Personal Assistant , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Comments Off

“What do you do?” is a question that I come across on a regular basis, like I am sure many of you do.  However, it always surprises me that in this day and age so many people do not know what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is.  I’ve given up calling myself a Virtual Assistant and prefer Freelance Personal/Executive Assistant.  Still people are often baffled.  It is assumed that I do a lot of typing and diary management but to be honest I do very little of that.  That is not to say that I won’t do that but clients tend to use me for so much more.

So what services do I offer?

My services include Accounts, DeskTop Publishing, Digital Transcriptions, Email Management, E-Shots, Holiday Cover, IT Training & Advice, Lifestyle Management, Media Management, Systems and Process Management and Website Administration.

All I can say is clients aren’t scared to ask.  I’ve had some call me from their holiday unable to obtain the Formula 1 results, clients needing lifts or items picking up, even dogs that need walking!  I’m here to help and love nothing more than offering my assistance.

Where do I work?

My office is based at home and most of the time this is where I work but on occasions I am requested to go to a client’s office or home.  Most of my work is emailed, discussed over the telephone or even posted.  Clients give me access to their web mail accounts, web servers and so much can be done online with Web Applications.  I can even access a client’s computer remotely.

So what sort of person do I work for?

Well this ranges immensely; sole traders, small businesses, consultants.  Some of them I work for daily, some weekly, some monthly and the others dip in and out as and when they need me.  I offer a great deal of flexibility and this suits my clients.

Why do clients outsource to me?

I offer expertise that many clients do not have.  A sole trader may feel that they want to do everything themselves but why waste time learning a new skill when they can hire it in and concentrate on other things.

I save my clients time and money. A Consultant earning £100 an hour often spends 5 hours a week on admin – hotel bookings, travel arrangements, accounts, invoicing etc. By completing these tasks themselves they are, in effect, losing £500 a week e.g. 5 hours x £100 ph.  By paying me to do that admin work, at a lower hourly rate, they are then able to earn money they wouldn’t otherwise be able to.

What are the benefits?

  • My clients know that I am dedicated to helping them succeed
  • Flexibility including out of hours work
  • Clients pay for my time and expenses only: no tax, NI/PAYE or benefit costs
  • I provide my own office space and equipment

The Basics and Benefits of Standard Office Procedures (SOPs)

Feb 232010
 
 February 23, 2010  Office, Organising, Personal Assistant , , , , ,  Comments Off

Standard Office Procedures (SOPs) is a system of written documents setting out procedures for all aspects of your business. SOPs are an important tool for your business to ensure that everyone in the company is following the same procedure and performing tasks consistently and correctly. Therefore helping towards a smooth running company.

SOPs should be produced for any recurring activity whether it is a technical, administrative or functional procedure that is to be followed within the business. They can also be written to manage risks, whether it is a fire evacuation procedure or key personnel moving to a competitor.

Each SOP describes in a step-by-step format how to perform a particular task or operation. The information within each SOP should be written in a brief, easy to follow format. The information should be kept short, simple and written clearly.

A typical SOP contains the following information:

  • Title
  • ID Number
  • Issue Date
  • Review Date
  • Person Responsible for SOP
  • Person who has Approved SOP
  • Pages
  • Definitions
  • Purpose
  • Procedure Forms that are to be completed

Topics that SOPs cover can vary from business to business but examples are as follows:

  • Mission Statement and Objectives Organisation Chart
  • Human Resources – Job Descriptions, Attendance, General Behavior and Regulations
  • Information Technology
  • Accounting Procedures
  • Risk Management
  • Quality Control
  • Administrative Policies
  • Health and Safety

A SOP Manual will provide you with:

  • Clear record of Office Policies and Procedures.
  • Consistency – tasks will be performed correctly over and over again.
  • Written information of what duties employees perform, when, why and how.
  • A guide that can be used for training
  • Legal protection – processes and procedures are defined in detail and print.
  • Serve as benchmark for performance reviews, company goals and direction.

In order to be useful SOPs should be up to date with current practices and reviewed on a regular basis e.g. every 1-2 years. This is to ensure that the procedures are appropriate. If an SOP outlines a task that is no longer used it should be removed from the file and archived.

If SOPs are not written correctly they provided no value but on the other hand if SOPs are not followed then they will fail. Management need to enforce SOPs and copies should be made accessible to all employees either electronically or as a hard copy to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Original article: The Basics and Benefits of Standard Office Procedures (SOPs) – written by Emma Windsor on Factoidz

I hope you found this article useful.  If you have any questions please leave them in the comment box I would be more than happy to help.