This week I’d like to suggest that if you need to save time, and realize that even a few minutes here and there really adds up – try this:

Do things at off-peak hours

Going to the bank at 2pm often is much quicker than going at opening or at lunch time.  Going to the grocery store just after lunch on a weekday or first thing on a Sunday morning is much less time consuming than going on a Saturday afternoon. Commute times can be slashed if you can leave much earlier or later than the general population.

These are just a few simple suggestions, but many of your regular activities involve more time than you realize simply because of when you do them.  Maybe you can’t adjust them all, but any flexibility you use to allow you to complete tasks or errands at off-peak times will improve both your efficiency and your attitude (after all nothing is as frustrating as wasting time!!)

Hope that this helps a little – take care!!

Do you know what you can’t outsource? RELAXATION!!!

This weekend I took the weekend off – off of work, off of parenting, off of housework and it was GREAT!! I went to the mountains with a girlfriend and we relaxed, ate yummy food and went to the spa! I don’t think I even realized how much I need the time to wind down and just have some fun.

The picture above is of a gorgeous mountain in Banff, Alberta.  I am so lucky to live close enough to take a weekend trip to Banff! It was windy and cool, but that didn’t slow us down!

So how about you, do you take the time you need to relax occasionally? Or do you constantly work, and parent and manage and prioritize just trying to get everything done that needs doing? We all have so many things going on in our lives, but even one day of complete relaxation can give you a renewed energy level and sense of focus.  I suspect this week I will be able to get more done and enjoy it more, all because I took a break when I needed one.

And remember, if you need help running your business so you can take a break – a virtual assistant can be your partner in success!

I admit, change can be difficult for me. It took a lot of prodding by my husband to switch to Firefox a while back. And thank goodness! I finally was aware of how many options we have for internet browsers, we don’t have to be stuck on internet explorer!! I’m actually currently trying out Google Chrome, due to some freezing issues after the latest Firefox upgrade. I loved Firefox though, especially with all the great add-ons, but hopefully once I’ve played with Chrome I’ll see what it is capable of, or I’ll try something else!

This brings me to my main point today though. Have you been running your business or practice alone so long that you are reluctant to make changes? Do you realize that getting some help (like a virtual assistant!!) will probably improve things but you deplore the idea of getting into a new routine? It’s may be difficult to make a big change, but so often it makes our lives easier, more enjoyable or less stressful.

I think the most important thing to remember is that most changes can be undone or fixed in some way. For example, you think your business would benefit from hiring a virtual assistant. You get some recommendations from friends, submit an rfp somewhere or do a search. You find a VA that you think will be a great partner for your business. After a month you realize that things are not working out for you. Are you stuck? Nope! Virtual assistants are NOT employees, so you don’t have to fire them, you simply end the contractual arrangement, tell them it didn’t work out and try again! Oh and if you are looking for a virtual assistant, have a look at these previous posts from my blog:

• Passion for Hire
• The Cost of Hiring a Virtual Assistant, part 1
• The Cost of Hiring a Virtual Assistant, part 2

Now back to seeing what browser is going to work for me!

Do you ever find yourself waiting somewhere that you didn’t expect to be? Like a really long lineup at a drive-thru, or you’re early for the school pickup run and you have 10 extra minutes? Or you are meeting a client and they are running late? My tip this week is to take advantage of that time!

Today I spent an extra hour waiting to get new tires put on my Jeep.  For me that was wasted time and unfortunately I was trying to keep a 4 and 1 yr old amused, so I really couldn’t take advantage that time.  But the first 1.5 hours I was waiting (yes, 2.5 hours total, not my idea of good service!) I used the time to great advantage, even with my little boys in tow.

I walked to a couple of nearby stores to pick up some things I need for the upcoming weekend, I picked up some office supplies and I found a new pair of jeans, all things I needed to do and I wanted to get them done since I was out anyway and waiting around.

But if I hadn’t had little boys with me, I could have used the other hour to advantage too.  I keep my notebook and calendar handy at all times. I could have brainstormed some blog post ideas and given some thought to the marketing I need to work on.  I could have telephoned a business contact and had a quick discussion.  I could have got onto my mobile browser and checked in with my Twitter pals!

Don’t let wasted time interfere with your day or the running of your business! Always keep on hand a couple of small projects or items you can work on in situations where you are stuck in wait mode.  Some more suggestions for things you can do in a few minutes while waiting:

• Write cheques to pay bills
• Send quick emails from your mobile phone
• Review your upcoming calendar dates and appointments
• Phone dentist/doctor/accountant etc to schedule necessary appointments
• Keep a book handy so you can catch up on your reading

See, there are so many things we can do to keep up with the little tasks that sometimes get neglected!

Take care!!

This week I read some great blog entries by some of my fellow virtual assistants, and I just had to share them all with you.  I love the virtual assistant community, and am so glad I can network with these great people!

Over at VANetworking’s new blog, was a great post by Jaime Lee Mann.  Jaime said she originally posted it on her own blog, but didn’t get any comments.  Too bad, it’s a great article!! Glad I found it now.

Tina of Clerical Advantage shares an interesting spin on virtual assistant services in her post Here Comes the Bride’s Virtual Assistant.

April, someone I am happy to work with on the NAVLA site, had a great post this week, which included reference to the list of 50 most powerful and influential women in social media. She delved into the topic of focus, something I need to work on too!

Another must-read post of the week comes courtesy of one of those top 50 women, Alyssa Gregory, from her VA Secrets Revealed book blog.

Finally I’d like to share an incredible post from Stacy Brice of the Virtual Moxie Blog, an industry leader in the world of virtual assistance. This post will be immensely helpful to any VA getting her practice up and running right now. For that matter, if you’ve been a virtual assistant for a while but are struggling, this post could really help you out.

Stacy’s post was part of the Blog Action Day event this week. I posted my own poverty related post over on my mom blog.

Have a great weekend everyone, and happy reading!

I love working as a virtual assistant, but there are things I miss from my days in a law office environment.  One of these is the legal research I was sometimes able to assist with.  For me, it was a really fascinating aspect of my job.  Probably partly because I enjoy reading so much that I happily read anything and everything. I also enjoy puzzles and solving things, so reading caselaw to find the nuggets of information that could help or hurt our case was a very rewarding task.

Of course as a virtual assistant I can still do legal research.  I can access online legal databases like CanLii or NexisLexis.  I can search through decisions on some of the court sites (like the Supreme Court decisions). I just need someone who wants me to do it for them!  I even would enjoy going to the law library if the need ever arises.

Ok, it’s a little late in the day (guess I need some time management help today!) but here it is, this week’s time tip!

BUY IN BULK

Yes, this tip is still business oriented! When you need office supplies, buy as many as you can afford.  Stock up on printer cartridges or post-it notes or even just your office coffee beans!  The fewer trips you make to the store the more time you have to focus on your work.  I know that it’s easy to allow “important” things to distract us.  I mean, who can go without coffee when they’re tired at 2pm (or a slurpee if you’re my BFF)?  If you run out of a supply that’s a necessity you’ll end up heading to the store and you may never find your focus again that day.  So buy in bulk and save time!

Thanks to @moanderlawfirm I read this interesting article in the Wisconsin Law Journal (written by a new Twitterer @janepribek).  It’s got a nice description of setting yourself up on Twitter and shares info from Chris Moander about how using Twitter has helped his solo law practice. He’s gained clients and done plenty of networking.  I’ve also gained clients from Twitter and have to say Twitter is a fabulous networking tool in my opinion.

I also need to point out though that I don’t agree with Chris’s suggestion in the article that you weed out people who “discuss weeding their gardens”. I like to hear the personal and business stuff. Actually, the only people I unfollow are ones who are TOO business oriented and clearly only there to self-market.  Twitter really is a conversation.  I want to hear about your kids, terrible traffic and even your garden!! I like a real mix – and I get it on Twitter!  Otherwise I’d say stick to regular blogging, then you don’t have to interact if you prefer not to, just spout your own message. The best networking contacts for me have been ones I can establish something in common with (maybe even a love of gardening).

I’d love to hear from any of you? Do you use Twitter for marketing, networking, just personally? Which types of Twitter people do you follow or unfollow?

That’s it for now, tweet you later!! Oh and make sure you follow me @halosecretarial!

I was pleased to be asked a little while back to provide a guest post for Kris over at Fresh Focus.  My guest post on Backup Plans went up yesterday and I hope you go over there to check it out.  Not to mention check out some of the other good stuff featured at Fresh Focus – it’s a great blog!

This week’s Tuesday Time Tip is inspired by this article over at MSNBC.com.

Touch mail only once (yes that means email too!!)

It’s so easy to look through our mail and take a “quick peek”.  It’s even easier to glance at our inbox to see what’s coming in and how full it’s getting.  But we should resist the temptation and instead choose 1-3 times per day to sit down and truly manage our email.  What should we just respond to right now? What should we delegate? What should we just delete because we’re never going to have time to actually read it anyway? What can be archived for future reference?

I work really hard at keeping my inbox clutter-free.  It means that I don’t waste time re-reading emails and more importantly, critical deadlines don’t get missed because I didn’t have time to actually read all of my mail. Same with the “paper” mail (not that I get much of that thankfully!)  Bills are immediately put into their proper place to await payment and invitations are promptly responded to.  Junk mail promptly is delivered to the recycling bag!

So don’t be tempted to look at your mail until you have time to actually work through it.  You’ll be glad you waited!!