Admin

6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support, Digital Marketing
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Spring has officially sprung! It’s the time of year to review and refresh, so we’ve pulled together some ways you can Spring Clean Your Business.

Update your website

Your website is the heart of your business. Is it giving the impression you want? Take time to review your website as a visitor and make any relevant changes. Could your copy do with being vamped up? Have you updated your website to include new services or products that you’re now offering? Do you need to remove any out of date information? These small changes will make all the difference – it’s just about taking some time out to actually do it!

Organise your emails

This is something we often put off time and time again, but what a difference it makes when we do it. Purge old emails (just think – do you really need to keep this?), Organise emails that you need to keep with the use of folders and subfolders and unsubscribe from any e-newsletters that you receive that you’re not interested in receiving anymore. This should make your inbox look a little less daunting!

Check your links

How often do you check the links included on your website, email signatures and social media profiles? Probably not at often as you should. If you manage to come across a rare spare 10 minutes in your working day, use this time to make sure that your links are still working and that they are pointing visitors to the correct place. This may not be the most entertaining of tasks, but very much worth doing every now and then.

Refresh your Social Media

Take a look at all of your social media account analytics and review them. Is the content that you’re sharing working? Are you over-selling? Do you need to interact with your followers more to give that ‘human touch’? Look back at your original social media strategy, this will help you to refocus.
Freshen up your social media visuals – it may be time to create a new profile icon or header to replace your current outdated one. We understand that as a small business owner you may not have these actions at the top of your priority list, but paying attention to this information and making small changes will really help your online presence moving forwards.

Revisit your business plan and goals

So, you had a business idea, created your business plan, officially started your business and it has gone from strength so strength. So you don’t need your business plan anymore, right? Wrong. You will always need your business plan – it’s the structure of how you built up your small business. You should look back at your business plan yearly and update it to keep up with your business growth and to help track if you are achieving your set ambitions and goals.

Get Cleaning!

Finally, how often do you actually get to clean your office space? Whether you work from home or in a shared office, tidy up your workspace. Eliminate any old paperwork from your desk by filing it away or shredding it. Sharpen your pencils, buy new pens that actually work and clean your computer. It doesn’t bear thinking about how many germs collect on keyboards!

If your business could do with a few extra hours in the day, we can help with our services. The best bit? You’ll only pay for the support that you need. Get in touch and make it happen today by dropping us an email makeithappen@mbsmih.com or giving us a call on 01903 688789.

Getting Things Done More Effectively

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support
Two people working together at a wooden desk with two open laptops and a shared paper document which they are writting on

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Effective: To successfully achieve the results that you want

In most cases, the result we want is to get [the task] done and get it done well, and knowing what it is that you need to complete or are trying to achieve is the first hurdle. From small tasks to big projects, the key to being most effective is to identify everything you need to do in the form of a ‘to do’ list. Start by making a note of everything you need to get done, not just the larger jobs, but the little ones as well.

Takeaway Tip: Always start with a ‘to do’ list

Make your to do list more effective by including timescales for every task you plan to complete (e.g. 10 minutes; 2 hours etc.), and then include timeframes for when they need to be completed by (e.g. 1 week; 2 days etc.). You now have a much better idea of exactly what you need to do, by when, and how long it will take.

Takeaway Tip: Ensure your ‘to do’ list includes realistic timeframes for every task

You want to be as effective as possible from the beginning of each new day, so give yourself a helping hand by knowing exactly what you’re going to achieve before you even sit at your desk or work station. Write your to do list the day before or at the beginning of each week to eliminate any procrastination at the start of your day.

Takeaway Tip: Know what you are going to achieve the day or week before

Finally, including set time slots in your calendar each day for getting key tasks and general admin done is vital to ensuring you make the time. Blocking out set days each week specifically for conducting meetings (such as a Tuesday and Thursday) will also help you to be more effective as you won’t be rushing around trying to juggle travel and work at the same time. This also applies to the larger tasks you have to do regularly, such as your month end processes or invoicing. Setting aside specific time each month in your calendar will help you focus on getting these done.

Takeaway Tip: Set aside time in your calendar for admin jobs, set meeting days, and month end tasks

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
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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
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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