Layout Image
Jan
28

January is National Get Organized Month

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Windows Live Calendar

Image via Wikipedia

How appropriate that the first month of the year focuses on getting yourself organized?  And why am I writing about it at the end of the month?  I am writing about it now, because at the beginning of January we are all worried about setting goals, resolutions and regrouping after the holidays.  Now that each of us has had a chance to gather our thoughts and get it together here are a few things that can help you get organized and stay organized.

Email – First, if you are checking your email more than 3 to 4 times a day, you are really wasting valuable production time.  Now for the real tip.  One message should not be read more than two times.  The first should be to categorize it (and if you have rules in place then this step will be done for you).  Second it should be to take an action: Do it, Delegate It, Delete It or File it.  This will keep you inbox manageable and allow you to stop wasting time reading a message over and over again.

Schedule – Having a schedule will allow you to say no to those time sapping tasks and people.  Being accountable for your day will allow for less distractions and activities that just seem to pop up.  It also allows you an excuse for those friends and acquaintances who need a small favor from you.  When you are working from appointments you are more apt to stick to your schedule and boost your overall productivity.

Work on your personal life – If you are disorganized personally then you will be disorganized professionally.  Take some time to tackle the clutter in your home, get an exercise program in place, set a standing date for a friends night out.  If you feel you cannot do it alone, get professional help.  Hire an organizer, personal trainer or find someone to make your reservation and confirm the appointment on your schedule.

Do for you – I have some great systems of organization in place and love to share them with everyone, however they are not for everyone.  When you do something that is out of your norm and not comfortable, you are not going to stick with it.  Do what you like and works for you not what everyone else is doing.

I could go on and on with tips and tricks of what works for me, but these are my top suggestions.  What is it that works, or does not work, for you during the last days of Get Organized month?

All the best,

Lee Drozak, Owner My Office Assistant

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Organization, Personal Growth, Small Business
Comments (0)
Jan
13

Squeeky and Louie – A childrens’ book – proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

Linda Handley recently released a book, SQUEEKY and LOUIE.  Today, she’s stopped by my blog.

I met Linda through The Women’s Small Business Association, WSBA TM, and this is where I first heard of Linda’s father’s book. With the proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society I was intrigued.   The more I learned about Squeeky and Louie, the more I got excited for Linda and the goal she is setting to accomplish with the book.  That is the reason why I am hosting Linda today on my blog.   Linda and I have even set an interview to discuss the process, the cause and more about Squeeky and Louie.  Watch for that next week but in the meantime, here is a little more about Squeeky and Louie.

Book Summary:
A children’s tale of Squeeky and Louie, two little grey mice, and their adventures with Gus the cat.

What are little loving mice going to do when they want to come out and play? This turns out to be any easy problem to solve. Well, with a little clever help the two mice lead the reader on a tale of adventure. F. R. Handley has authored an entertaining, interactive treasure that’s sure to charm and delight kids from 1 to 91. The simple text is joyous and engaging, but this is really a story told through the marvelous illustrations.

The amusing artwork stars endearing little furry friends. Youngsters will love all the captivating facial expressions and wonderful humorous detail in each two page spread.

Squeeky and Louie is an engaging tale little ones will beg to read again and again, and a timeless classic to share with friends, family, and future generations.

Who wrote the book? What is your relationship to the author?
My father wrote this book for me when I was a little girl. He would read books to me every night. I remember curling up with him and being mesmerized by the larger than life mice who wanted to play.

Why now was Squeeky and Louis published?
I had always thought about publishing the book. The timing just didn’t seem right. I was asked to help with a benefit for the American Cancer Society. Congressman Doyle was honored at the event. He told an amazing story of people battling cancer. I know many people at my table were inspired and moved to tears.

I came home and sat down in my living room and thought, “How can I give back to the American Cancer Society?” I looked over to one of my bookcases and there was my father’s book. I decided to publish the children’s book and give the proceeds back to the American Cancer Society.

What is the story about?
This entertaining children’s tale is about two little grey mice who want to come out and play. They dream of pie and cheese and delicious mouse treats. They decide to go to the kitchen to see what they can find. This is their entertaining story told through amazing illustrations.

Who are the main characters?
Squeeky – the mouse with the orange shirt – Yes, Squeeky is spelled correctly because mice SQUEEK.
Louie – the mouse with the yellow shirt – “the brains of the operation”
Gus – the cat.
Mr. Guffy – the owner of the home where the story unfolds.

What is special about the book?
The book is a children’s tale. Sure there are literally thousands of books out there. This one has amazing illustrations, an engaging story, and proceeds go to the American Cancer society.

From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010, the American Cancer Society will receive the net proceeds from the sale of the book, Squeeky and Louie from the author, F.R. Handley. The American Cancer Society does not endorse any service or product.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. The American Cancer Society’s international mission concentrates on capacity building in developing cancer societies and on collaboration with other cancer-related organizations throughout the world in carrying out shared strategic directions

Why should people buy the book?
Buy the book to read to your children and grandchildren.
Buy the book to sell at fund raisers.
Buy the book to donate to the American Cancer Society.


Why are proceeds going to the American Cancer Society?
The American Cancer Society is an amazing group. This group holds a special place in my heart.


Tell me about yourself
When I’m not working, I stay involved in my community, aiding several non-profit organizations in their development, marketing, fund-raising and event planning. These organizations include the American Cancer Society and WSBA, Assistant Executive Director- Women’s Small Business Association – 500+ Small Business Network in Pittsburgh, Westmoreland, Greensburg, Butler, and Beaver Counties.

How can the readers contact you if they want further information?
I can be reached by email at HandleyL@verizon.net. They can also visit our website at Squeeky and Louie.com.

How much does your book cost?
$8.95 with all of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

About the Author:
F. Richard Handley was born in Lehman, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Marion Hale Goodrich and Frederic Richard Handley. Both Marion and Frederic came to America as children. They were from different villages in Wales. F. Richard’s father and all three of his uncles were Welsh coalminers. F. Richard Handley attended Susquehanna University and the University of Pennsylvania. He married Mary Nissley and has two children Linda and Jon Eric. F. Richard owned and operated Cocoa Gallery for over 30 years. This book was written when Linda was a little girl. Many nights were spent reading Squeeky and Louie to her as she fell fast asleep on his shoulder.

Linda, thank you for stopping by my blog.
You are very welcome. Thank you for having me.

Pick up your copy for $8.95 at Squeeky and Louie.com.

All the best to Linda and all the efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  I look forward to talking with you next week and sharing a little more insight into the process and the cause.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Guest Post
Comments (0)
Jan
12

What free resources do you regulary use in your business?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

Don’t you just love open source software and applications?  I do and I use some awesome programs daily at My Office Assistant.  Here are my top five.  Let’s see what you can add to my list.

  1. WordPress.org - I use wordpress.org to power my web site and blog.  The best part for me is that I can update my content and look anytime from anywhere.  This is my third overall change to my website as I went from traditional html/css to a WordPress themed site.  Now I can easily make the changes I need and if I tire of the look of my site I simply only need to change the theme and apply to the pages.
  2. Fences (by Stardock) – This nifty desktop program has been a staple of mine for a while now.  I have written about it before and will continue to do so.  I like to keep all things organized, neat and tidy including my desktop.  Fences allows you to group shortcuts and icons in areas on your desktop.  I have fences form programs, clients and documents.  Better yet with a simple click of the mouse you can hide you icons for tasks such as screen sharing.
  3. Google Voice – I started using Google Voice because I live in a remote area and well we just don’t have telephone voicemail capabilities on your land line.  So for my business line, if I were on a call my client would get a busy signal.  Enter Google Voice which allows me  the capability to set up a voice mail system as well as fowarding my calls.  If I am on the road, I simply need to check an option and my phone now goes to me cell instead of my land.  All while keeping my original voice mail system in tact.  I also get email notices when a new message is received.  The only con to this is the voice to text recognition program needs some work as I cannot often rely on what the text version reads.
  4. DimDim – Online meeting and webinar program that I use regularly for group meetings.  While I am currently using the free version, as I progress with my webinar offerings I will move to the Pro version.  However if you are looking for a great free resource to conduct collaborative meetings this is the choice I made.  You have the capability to screen share, upload presentations, white board and website viewing.  Best of all, you can change presenters so that anyone in on the meeting can express their thoughts and share their information.
  5. Wisemapping – I find that mind mapping (or visual brainstorming) is helpful to me as I think through a process or project.  Wisemapping is a wonderful open source program that have all the capabilities I need and more.  Best yet, you can print and share you mind map for others to see and work with you as you progress through your thought process.

So you see I am all about bootstrapping and taking advantage of all the great resources available to small business owners.  Sifting through them to find the great versus the okay are another issue.  I find that by giving you my top five, you may also find a program to help your business.  Feel free to add your own as well.

All the best,

Related articles by Zemanta
Categories : Resources, Small Business, Technology
Comments (0)
Jan
06

All these business cards, now what?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Business Cards Alma Grid Project
Image by *bene* via Flickr

One of my goals for 2010 is keeping myself organized.  A stumbling block for most, is all the business cards that are accumulated over a week of networking.  I will share with you my procedure with hopes that it will help you reign in your stack of cards as well.

First, when at an event I separate out those who I want to contact immediately or who have a serious inquiry about my services.  This way when I get home from the event ,  I then have what I need handy to make my follow-up contact.  Immediately after returning from the function, I touch with those who I have separated out and review the others to see if there are contacts that will compliment my services.

Next, and usually at the end of the week, I scan all my cards so that I have an electronic copy and can easily import into my master contacts file.  After scanning my cards I then put most in a card book that I carry with me.  My book allows me easy access to information for those contacts I met whom I can refer.  By scanning for myself I do not have to worry about giving away important information that I will need for the future.

After importing my new contacts to my master networking list, I then look to my social networks to see if anyone participates and include them in my virtual networks.  This will allow me to keep in touch with networking contacts that I have met but will not see for some time.

Networking is about building relationships so it is important that you do something with your cards other than store in a drawer.  Regardless of what method or system that you have, you should attend to the cards once a week and make the necessary follow-up.  What methods do you employ for your business cards?

All the best,

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Best Business Practices, Organization, Small Business
Comments (0)
Dec
31

Welcome 2010

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

My Office Assistant has a new look and lots of great things happening.  Check back often as we add audio and video posts that will include interviews and tips for the small business owner and entrepreneurs everywhere.  In the meantime take a listen to our first audio post.

Welcome 2010

Hoping that each of you has a successful and prosperous 2010!

All the best,

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Small Business
Comments (0)
Dec
17

Thank you to all my supporters

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

Thank you everyone!

As 2009 winds down, I just wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you to all those who support My Office Assistant and myself as a business owner.  As all of you out there know it is no easy task to run a successful business and having a great support system is invaluable.  I have lots in store for 2010 including a new look, a new site (yes I am giving in to the WordPress excitement) and some great new packages and services.  But fear not, I will not be changing the core values and benefits that My Office Assistant was built on.

Thank you again for all your support and best wishes during this blessed holiday season.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Best Business Practices, Small Business
Comments (0)
Dec
03

Does your email get the reader’s attention?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

emailI decided to take a weekend off over Thanksgiving and not turn on my computer. I knew however on my return that my inbox would cause me to second guess that decision. On opening my Outlook I found over 200 messages. At least I have categories and rules in place to keep it manageable when I decide to do something crazy like this. So I wanted to share some tips with you that get emails opened and responded to before others. It has everything to do with the subject line.

First rule of thumb, always include a subject line. If an email does not include one most time these go to my junk folder and stay there until I get to them which could be hours if not days.

Second, indicate if you need an action. Now please take note here that just because you mark it as a high priority I do not necessarily take that into consideration. An example of a good subject line for an action item is “New Marketing Plan – Response requested within two days”. When I look at this item I know exactly what you are including and that you need my opinion or input immediately.

Third, be specific. If you are sending me meeting notes a great subject line would be “Action Plan Meeting Notes, 10/15/2009”. These will get my attention because I know what is included in the email. It is also helpful because I use the drag and drop method to add items to my to-do list and calendar and this saves me time when reviewing my scheduling options for the week.

And finally, include action verbs for items that need attention but are not necessarily high priority. A good example here would be “Join me for an important webinar on social media”. These are items that I look at and then drag and drop to my schedule or to-do list.

Another good rule of thumb when adding attachments is to be specific in the file name. I use the search and save as features for my attachments so when you name a file “Notes” it will get lost in the shuffle as opposed to “Conference Call 10/15/2009 Notes”.

I hope these simple tips will help you get your emails noticed and responded to in a timely manner. It is also helpful because if your contacts see the system you have and the results that you get they are more likely to employ the same practices.

Do you use effective subject lines?

All the best,

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Best Business Practices
Comments (0)
Nov
23

Surviving the holiday with 3 things we tend to forget.

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
stress elf

I am writing this article, the week of Thanksgiving.  There is enough to do with the short work week and now I am doing what I tell my clients not to do – procrastinate.  I try to write regularly but as of late I have no ideas – blank, nada, nothing.  Hence the procrastination of posting blog articles.  This got me to thinking about how I will survive the holidays.  Now I am sure you are being inundated with tips for time management and getting through the next month, so I will take a different approach.

Three things about the holidays that we tend to forget.

  1. The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. Now I know as a business owner you have a business to run, profits to make and customer to service.  Nevertheless how effective will you be if you cannot take a little time to enjoy your support system.  Take the day for yourself, turn off the computer (yikes, yes I said, turn off the computer) and cell phone too.  I am not sure how important you really are but you can afford one day, possibly two.
  2. Don’t feel guilty. Yes it is hard to step away for 24 hours or even 48 but it can be done.  And since you are taking that all important step to forget business for that period, enjoy it.  Feeling guilty or constant worry about what you are missing will defeat the whole purpose.  Laugh at uncle Harry’s corny joke, watch an uninterrupted football game and linger at the table after the meal, anything but business will do.
  3. Reflect on the year that will soon be behind you. And not just the good stuff.  I am one to believe that everything happens for a reason and you cannot grow without learning from your mistakes.  Begin there, with your missteps.  Concentrate on what you can do better and how you will get that accomplished.

Now those are the three things that I feel we tend to forget as we try to get through the holidays.  If you take a step back and enjoy the view then the holidays are not so bad.  What will you do to get through the holiday season?

All the best,

Related articles by Zemanta
Categories : Best Business Practices, Personal Growth
Comments (0)
Nov
15

Common misconceptions for small business owners

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

Running and owning a small business is no easy feat as I have discovered first-hand. These are a few things that I have picked up along the way. I hope you will find these four misconceptions handy in your quest to start and build your business.

Success
Image by aloshbennett via Flickr

I don’t need a website – Every business, regardless of size needs a web presence. Even if it is as basic as your company information,  products/services and  contact information. When I am looking for services or products the first place that I go, like many others, is the web. So even a basic free hosted site or blog will make the world of difference to your business.

Social media will not help my business - Social media is not for everyone and can be all consuming if you let it.  However, it is also a way to build and strengthen your community. Adding social media to your marketing plan is an excellent way to network and build unique relationships with people you would otherwise never meet. Start with a simple plan to participate and engage then go from there.

I know what I need so there is no need to update - When you stop learning, you and your business become stagnant. This gives your competition a huge leg up as they continue to build their knowledge and tweak their processes. There are so many free and inexpensive resources available to you today that there really is no reason to not update your skills. Find the one area where you lack and start there by looking for webinars, blogs, forums and even classes.

Etiquette is so passé - I really am passionate about this one. In these changing technology times we so often forget the basic etiquette that we were taught as a child. When you fail to practice common etiquette, you show that your time is more important than others. Start by putting that cell phone away while you are meeting with colleagues or even clients. And don’t forget a great handshake and simple introduction will leave a lasting impression.

What were common misconceptions that you have overcome while starting and growing your business? What steps did you take to tackle them head on?

All the best,

Related Links:

Office Depot Webcafe

Ed2Go

Protocol Inc./The Polished Professional

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories : Best Business Practices
Comments (0)
Nov
01

Should you have friends review your web site?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)

This very interesting question came up at one of the events I was attending.  I was talking about how I had my site reviewed by a very skilled individual and they offered me advice based on a clients perspective instead of my own. Well that got the ball rolling and now the comments that followed where “my friends all like my site so why should I pay someone to do it”.  And here is my response….

It is great to have business friends and colleagues review and critique your site.  Many times they will find grammar or even (gasp!) spelling errors.  They also will look at it from a business standpoint and offer opinions that they have based on professional expertise.  They will also will know what is appealing to the eye and what information they are looking for when visiting other business sites.

However, you should not have family and friends review your site because, well to be honest, their opinion will be biased.  They will look at your site from a personal point just like you have done when building it and if it is bad, will not tell you how bad it is.  Friends and family will also not look at your site as your business calling card but more of a “Hey they have a site!”.

So what should you do?  You can post to your site to professional forums that you belong to and ask for critiques.  Be ready for honest opinions and feedback.  You can ask other professionals in your field for their opinions, remember however this is your competition.  Or you can hire someone to review and critique your site.  Which I think is a best option because it is an unbiased opinion.

I would suggest you have your site reviewed for both content and visual flow.  This may mean that you will need two evaluations.  The concept is to attract clients to your website so therefore it must be interesting as well as look interesting.  You will need to know if you are hitting the right keywords, conveying the correct message and getting the right clients to view your services/products.

All the best,

Lee Drozak ~ My Office Assistant

Related articles
Categories : Best Business Practices, Marketing, Small Business, Technology
Comments (0)
« Previous Page
Next Page »

  • Book a FREE 30-minute consultation now!

    • Categories

    Contact us at info (at) myofficeassist.org or Skype: LeeDrozak
    Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved
    Also find us at:
    This site is protected by WP-CopyRightPro