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Archive for Best Business Practices

Not a QuickBooks user?

By Lee Drozak · Comments (0)
Monday, August 9th, 2010

I have a few clients who are in need of bookkeeping support but just do not want to use QuickBooks.  Now I am a QuickBooks user, have been for years, and there is a lot I like about it.  But I understand there are those who do not like the program or just do not want to take the time to learn it.  So off I went in search of alternatives.  One great one I came up with was Outright, a free online bookkeeping program that is simple and straight forward.

According to their site, Outright is explained:  “Outright records your income and expenses automatically, categorizes the transactions to maximize deductions, and prepares your estimated and end of year taxes, so you can get back to the work you love.” After reviewing the site, I decided to put it to the test so I could recommend it to those in need.  Here is my findings:

LIKES:

First is the sync function.  Outright will import your Paypal and Merchant accounts, along with a few banks and Freshbooks, into your account.  And better yet, it’s smart feature will determine categories for those vendors that you use again and again.

Then there are the categories.  Each category is matched to a line on your end of year Schedule C tax form.  Now if you like to more specific, you can add your own categories and there is a “Not Sure” that you can choose to let your accountant determine these expenses.

Track 1099 for contractors and freelances.  At the end of the year, send out your 1099′s with ease as this category keeps track of your contractors.  There is an area to record W-9 details for those that you will need to issue for at year end.  There is also a section that briefly explains what a 1099 is and why as a business owner you may need to issue one.

Know your net profit.  At the top of your dashboard is an area where Outright calculates what you profit for the year is.  Know what you are doing right or wrong financially at the drop of a hat.  However keep in mind, your records need to be up-to-date to be accurate, and it is great to see when all your hard work is paying off.  This area can also give you an estimated tax payment due.  When you pay your quarterly taxes, you will know how much you will need to send.  Never overpay or underpay again.

Share your account.  You can easily share your account with your accountant or bookkeeper and still be able to make up-to-the-minute changes in your account without it affecting your records.  I do like that the shared access allows you to keep control but still employ help to keep your financial records in order.

DISLIKES:

No built-in billing.  There is an income section and Outright does sync with Freshbooks, however there is no invoicing program.  I went to BillingBoss to try that service as well but I wish it would be integrated to make it one complete package.

Cash business is assumed.  Most small businesses do operate on a cash-basis so this is not a big dislike.  However, being a QuickBook user, I got used to my Accounts Receivable account and miss being able to take a look at what is still outstanding and I need to collect on.  Now I know that this is what the billing program is for but again, I like it in one neat tidy package.

So bottom line here, if you are looking for a free easy to use program to keep track of your profits, Outright may be for you.  Also, if you are looking for a bookkeeping program to share with your virtual bookkeeper that you have instant access to, then Outright is for you.  If you are a big user of PayPal, Etsie, Ebay or Freshbooks, then this program is certainly designed for you.  However, remember your records are only as accurate as what is imported into them.

Next up, BillingBoss.  Is this the missing piece.

All the best,

Lee Drozak ~ My Office Assistant

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How is your 60-second commercial?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Sunday, March 21st, 2010

I belong to Virtual Assistant Forums, who is ready to begin celebrating their 3rd year of virtual existence.  To celebrate  a week of activities and special happenings will be going on at the forums.  One such event is a contest for the best 60-second commercial or as properly known,  VAF Bash Elevator Speech Contest. As one of the committee members, we had decided to produce videos to get the party started and give some inspiration to the other members.  I was a little reluctant at first.  Not because it was my commercial, which I have given tons of times, but because it was on film.  For the world to see!

After completing the video I posted to the Forums.  I was challenged to live outside my comfort level and share myself with others. While I got over my being on film fears, I was also inspired to make additional videos.  For these reasons I am thankful that I took up the challenge.  It allowed me to use my creativity to get my message across, tweak my speech and think of new ways to present myself to the world.

Even if you have a rock solid commercial, you should make a little recording to see how others view your speech.  Doing this exercise may help and it may not, but it will certainly give you insight on how you are viewed by others as you present your business.  Feel free to post you links should you too decide to take up this small challenge.  In the meantime, here is my elevator speech so that you can see how I did.

All the best,

Lee Drozak, Owner My Office Assistant

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Bad PR, Social Media and Kevin Smith

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Monday, February 15th, 2010
Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

I have been following the Kevin Smith/Southwest debacle because it is what is happening in the Twitter universe.  I have been asked who do I think is right and quite frankly I have no opinion.  Why, because I am not sure of all the facts despite all the comments being tweeted.  What I do know is that this sure puts customer service and bad PR into a whole new realm.  Regardless of the reasons that Kevin Smith was removed from the plane the fact remains that he was savvy enough to share it easily with the world.  And then Southwest was able to respond as quickly.  This whole conversation gives great reason that all businesses should become social media savvy.

What I do not agree with is the way Southwest handled the written apology to Mr. Smith via a post “No So Silent Bob” on their blog.  It was great that they gave a public apology but then they proceeded to outline the situation and why they felt they were correct in removing him from the plane.  They should have said, we have a policy, we stand by it, it caused an unfortunate situation and we apologize for the inconvenience to Mr. Smith.  By addressing all the details, makes that apology seem less than sincere and as if it was more of a PR positioning than an apology.

This brings up two great points for all business owners, large and small.  First, you need to know the working of social media and reputation management.  You should be familiar with the platform and when to address the situation, good or bad.  Second, you should know the rules of protocol and etiquette.  Especially, how to give a proper apology and when to apply common sense rules to certain situations.

I would love to know your comments on reputation management and the business rules of protocol and etiquette.

All the best,

Lee Drozak, Owner My Office Assistant

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All these business cards, now what?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
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,

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Categories : Best Business Practices, Organization, Small Business
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Thank you to all my supporters

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Thursday, December 17th, 2009

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.

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Does your email get the reader’s attention?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

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,

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Surviving the holiday with 3 things we tend to forget.

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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,

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Common misconceptions for small business owners

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Sunday, November 15th, 2009

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

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Should you have friends review your web site?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Sunday, November 1st, 2009

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

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Does your email get the reader’s attention?

By MOAImport · Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Microsoft Office Outlook

Image via Wikipedia

I decided to take a weekend off 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,
Lee Drozak ~ My Office Assistant

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