Month: January 2018

Why hire a VA over a PA?

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support, PA
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Q – What’s the difference between a VA (Virtual Assistant) and a PA (Personal Assistant)?
A – Nothing apart from geography!

You know that you need to outsource all those niggling admin tasks that are taking up your time and stopping you from earning money and growing your business, but you don’t know whether to employ a PA or not. Sound familiar?

Well there is an answer, and that is using a VA. More and more small businesses and freelancers are hiring VA’s as a solution to the limited time they have available.  Hiring a PA takes a lot more time, energy and money than hiring a VA and here’s why: –

  • It takes time to interview and hire the right person who is qualified and matches your personality (as you’ll have to be with them all day).
  • PA’s cost more than their salaries! There’s training, office costs (heating, lighting, equipment etc), overtime. Also take into account comfort and coffee breaks…!
  • What if some days you do not have enough work for them to do?
  • If you hire a temporary PA through an agency, there are agency fees to consider.

The list is endless.

Virtual Assistants reduce your labour costs, we are independent contractors which means we work around your schedule (including outside normal business hours) at the same rate and you only pay for the time spent on your project. We work from home or our own sourced work space and care about our business, it’s our livelihood. We want you to call us and recommend our services to others, so you know you will get the very best service.

Unless you specifically need and can afford a PA then working with a VA will allow  you to be more productive and give your business the MOMENTUM it  needs to move forward without the extra overheads and employment headaches!

If you have any questions about VA’s or PA’s, then please get in touch. We have an amazing team and we love to help!

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

Are your notes useless?

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support
A person in a black tshirt holding a burning book

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If you’re an avid note taker in meetings, courses, seminars or other events, then read on. We’ve pulled together 5 top tips and pointers to help make sure your notes are never useless.

Do you type or write?

A number of studies show handwriting your notes is much more effective than typing them. If you’re able to type fast enough to take down notes verbatim, the likelihood is you’re not taking much of what your typing in. Whereas, hand writing your notes, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to keep up with the speaker/s so you need to engage your brain more to interpret what they’re saying and actually make ‘notes’.

They’re called notes for a reason…

Notes are defined as ‘a brief record of points or ideas written down as an aid to memory’. So bear that in mind when you’re taking them. Try to come up with your own version of short-hand. Anything will do, as long as you understand them when you’re finished!

Keep it organised

Have a specific notebook for all of your note taking and be sure to use a new page for each meeting or event. Clearly mark at the top of the page what the notes relate to, and even include dates and attendees to make it easier to recall additional information in the future.

What are your key actions?

When you make notes, do you have a method for highlighting or making clear key actions that arise from your meetings or courses? Having a discernable code (such as a large asterisk or capital (A) in brackets) for yourself to accentuate any tasks or key takeaway points will make using your notes after the event much easier, and ensure you’re as productive as possible after the meeting.

Where are they now?

It’s great to have your actions highlighted and clearly displayed throughout your notes, but, that relies on you going back through all of your various notes frequently to remember what they are and make them happen! Instead, why not add them to your daily ‘to do’ list, so they’re easily accessible – you can always refer back to your notes if you need more detail about a specific task. Check out our secret here.

If you have more questions about note taking or are looking for someone to take them off your hands and write them up into full after meeting reports, then get in touch:

T: 01903 688789  E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

Getting organised for your Self-Assessment Tax Return

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support, Finance
A pen, calculator, and paperclip laying on top of a financial graph

With only a few weeks to go now until the deadline for the Self-Assessment Tax Return we’ve been asked by a number of clients how they can be better organised and get prepared in advance. So here’s our top tips on how to get organised early, so you can cross off the dreaded task from your to-do list.

Start Early
Start preparing for your Tax Return early to allow yourself enough time. There’s nothing worse than being right on deadline for a task, so don’t leave it until the very last minute to start getting your preparation underway!

Little and Often
Throughout the year, set time aside each week or month, using calendar alerts to remind you to take that hour out of your day, to sort through the relevant documents needed to file your Tax Return. This way, you won’t lose information or build up an enormous amount of paperwork that you’ll have to spend hours trying to sort through at the end of the year – which can be very stressful.

Create a Filing System
Set up a filing system that works for you. Whether that’s using folders, spreadsheets or an app – use whatever you find easier. When you’re out and about running errands – take a document wallet with you so you can place any relevant receipts straight in there. This will save you scrambling to look for them at a later date!

Don’t Stress!
Filing your Tax Return can be an overwhelming experience. The key is to get organised using the simple steps above and you’ll be fine! Remember – you can always seek advice from a professional accountant if you’re unsure about anything, and we’re always here to help too!

All the information you need about completing your self-assessment Tax return can be found here on the GOV website:
https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns

If you find yourself needing help with organisation in 2018, we can help! Contact us today for more information.
E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com T: 01903 688789

Make Your Goals Happen

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support, PA
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Having goals is such an important factor to maintaining direction and purpose. Here we share some of our top tips on making your goals happen!

Outline your Goals
The first step to making your goals happen is to outline what it is that you want to achieve. Your goal can be a big or small – think big and go above and beyond what skills you currently have. Stretch yourself but be realistic.

Break your Goals down
Breaking down goals helps us to be more specific. For example: Your goal is to create a work-life balance. Ask yourself why it is you want to achieve this goal: Is it to spend more time with family and friends? Have more time to focus on hobbies outside of work? Think about the underlying reasons as to why you want to achieve your goal and it will help you progress.

Create a Plan of Action
Write up your goals in a plan that you can refer back to. Identify what the first steps to achieving your goal are and what time frames you are working against. Set time aside to review and re-evaluate this plan when you can.

Keep Calm and Make It Happen!
Accomplishing your goals doesn’t happen overnight. Working towards them can be difficult sometimes. It’s important to stay stress free and remember with baby steps, you will eventually achieve your goals! Set yourself new goals once you have completed others, so you always have something you are motivated and focused on working towards.

At MOMENTUM, we believe that making goals is the key to success, but we understand that you may not currently have the time to plan them with your busy schedule. We can take care of those everyday tasks with our virtual PA services so you can take the time to focus on planning your goals. Find out more today: https://momentumbusinesssupport.com/services/

What are your 2018 goals? We’d love to hear them.
Tweet us at @mbsmih or Message us on Facebook!