L&A Personal Assistant Services

Task Prioritisation in Self-Management in Administration Prioritisation is an element of self-management and is essential in the administrative process in a small business. When the business owner is focused on running business and all administration work is left behind, it is very hard to process the back log. Administration is time-consuming work and can be challenging. When you have a pile of tasks to complete, your first question usually is – WHERE DO I START? Priority is described as “the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others[1]”. It is something you deal with first[2]. In administrative work, we all have a list of tasks that must be completed. If the list is long, we can get confused as to what is more important, and perform activities in the sequence of the list made, but not in the sequence of their importance. To prioritise activities in the daily administrative process is work effectively. Prioritisation is the process by which potential development items are ranked in order of their importance. This helps to organise time efficiently. The three main components in prioritisation process are: ·?????Importance ·?????Impact ·?????Urgency To prioritise the tasks, first of all, you need to have a list of tasks you have to perform. You need to understand the requirements of each task – that is exactly what needs to be done to complete a task before you determine its priority. Then you can decide the priorities based on the importance of the task and what things need to be finished in which order. To better see how things may need to be prioritised, you can list your tasks in a quadrant map based on importance and urgency. This is so called the Eisenhower Decision Matrix (picture). Write each of the tasks in your list in the quadrant map - choose the square that best describes it based on the importance and urgency. Keep in mind, that some of the tasks can be performed only one after another. When you have completed writing each task in an appropriate square, you will see the prioritization order of your tasks. Obviously, those listed in the IMPORTANT AND URGENT square will be the tasks you need to perform first, after that will come tasks that are listed in the IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT square, followed by tasks in URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT, and finally NOT URGENT AND NOT IMPORTANT. Each business is different, and administrative work can differ depending on the nature of activity - paperwork, software used, the procedures set (if any), etc. The Eisenhower Decision Matrix can help you to prioritise the list of your administrative tasks, especially when you try to catch up with a back log. If you are still struggling with this time-consuming administration of your business, text us on facebook or email at [email protected] and we will be more than happy to come and help you!

What is LOYALTY? Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University in New York City, says that loyalty is faithfulness, dedication, honesty, trust, and support. It requires an emotional commitment and engenders a sense of identity. The Collins English Dictionary describes loyalty as a devotion to a country, philosophy, group, or person. Oxford English Dictionary describes loyalty as a strong feeling of support or allegiance. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another human being can be the object of loyalty. We will not get into the philosophical analysis of this concept as it is very broad. The object of this article is to analyze what loyalty is in terms of business. Businesses seek to become the objects of loyalty in order to retain customers. Brand loyalty is a consumer's preference for a particular brand and a commitment to repeatedly purchase that brand. Customer loyalty is an ongoing positive relationship between a customer and a business. It drives repeat purchases and prompts existing customers to choose company over a competitor offering similar benefits. Loyalty happens as a result of multiple positive interactions that build up a feeling of trust over time. ? Why is customer loyalty important? ·?????Loyal customers come back – that means they shop regularly and their likelihood of making future purchases increases as they make more transactions over their lifetime. ·?????Loyal customers have the potential to bring more business to your door as they typically spend more than new customers and share their positive opinions on social media, leaving positive reviews or simply telling their friends and family. ·?????New customers are much harder to convince as they have no or very little experience with the business. ·?????Loyal customers are a lot easier to convince to try new products and services. ·?????Customer loyalty helps in effective planning. It enables business to predict growth more effectively, thus helping in financial planning. A marketing team can identify committed customers who can be relied upon hence making it easier to make anticipatory decisions based on their budget. ? Building and maintaining customer loyalty is a long, difficult, but sometimes neglected, part of business. To build and maintain customer loyalty, you have to understand the behavior of your customer, to know what influences your customer’s decisions, what attracts your customer’s attention and what is the trigger for their decision. You have to reward your customer – such as special offers, sales, discounts, thank you cards, small gifts. To create and keep a loyal customer is one of the most important and, usually, expensive marketing strategies. It is a big investment in loyalty programs to differentiate a company in a crowded market. But remember, a happy and loyal customer means the growth of your business!

A Client or Customer? These two words are synonyms, which means they have the same meaning, both referring to a person who buys services or products. However, at the same time they represent two different types of relationships and interactions with a business. You can easily distinguish the difference between a client and a customer. ?A customer is someone who buys products or services from a company. ?A client refers to a certain type of customer who purchases professional services from a business. In marketing literature, it is emphasised as essential to recognise that clients and customers are two different concepts as they require different service levels, support and engagement. From this perspective, it is not only the definition of a customer and a client that is important. A client is typically someone who engages with a business or service for a specific, ongoing, professional relationship, usually characterised by a higher level of personalisation and continuous interaction. A client expects personalised services based on their specific needs. A customer is an individual or business that purchases products or services from company in a more transactional way. This relationship is typically shorter-term and less personalised. Customers usually buy products or services that meet their immediate needs. Both clients and customers drive business success, however their needs, expectations and relationships with a business differ. A client-focused business needs to invest in long-term relationship management, customised service offers and specialised support systems. While customer-based models prioritise efficiency, scalability and standardisation, focusing on metrics like customer acquisition what results in higher volumes of transactions.

Respect in Business What is respect? As per the Oxford Languages Dictionary, respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements. Treating someone with respect means: ·?????????showing regard for their abilities and worth ·?????????valuing their feelings and their views, even if you don’t necessarily agree with them ·?????????accepting them on an equal basis and giving them the same consideration, you would expect of yourself. When we look at these definitions into the context of business, it’s clear that respect refers to valuing the qualities, skills and positive attitudes of the people we work with, and appreciating what they bring to the business. Respect simply means being polite, treating all employees, clients, customers, and stakeholders with dignity and worth – no matter their background, position or opinion. Respect is acknowledging the unique contributions each individual makes in furthering the goals of business. The 5 ways to show respect: 1.??????Be kind and courteous 2.??????Be polite, avoid interrupting or causing disturbances 3.??????Listen to others and respect differences in beliefs and opinions 4.??????Think before you speak, your language ad tone 5.??????Lend a helping hand or ear and practice compassion A culture of respect encourages idea sharing, wellbeing of all involved, satisfaction, performance and productivity. The business growth depends on respect we show to people we work with.

We understand the challenges that come with managing a small business, especially when faced with disorganised processes and inefficiencies. We specialise in providing tailored administrative solutions to help businesses like yours streamline operations, boost productivity, and achieve sustainable growth. Our Offer Includes: Comprehensive Assessment: We will conduct a thorough evaluation of your current administrative processes to identify pain points, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. Customised Solutions: Based on our assessment, we will develop a personalised action plan to streamline workflows, optimise operations, and enhance overall efficiency. Implementation Support: Our team of experienced administrators will work closely with you to implement new processes and ensure a smooth transition. Continuous Improvement: We believe in ongoing support and will regularly review and refine our strategies to adapt to your evolving business needs and drive long-term success. Benefits of choosing L&A Personal Assistant Services: Increased Efficiency: Streamlined processes and optimised workflows will save time and resources. Improved Productivity: Clearer procedures and better organisation will boost business performance. Enhanced Customer Experience: Better administrative leads to improved service delivery and customer satisfaction. Cost Savings: Eliminating inefficiencies can result in cost reductions and improved profitability. We are committed to helping your business thrive by providing top-notch administrative services tailored to your specific needs. Let us partner with you to transform your messy operations into a well-oiled machine. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you and contribute to your business success

What is a Procedure? If to take a look into the descriptions of what a procedure is, more or less, all of them describe a set of actions required to accomplish a task. Some definitions are more detailed than the others, mentioning that a procedure is an official or accepted way of doing something; a tried-and-true process; a set of predefined steps or instructions; a systematic approach. To summarise the above, a procedure in a company is set of officially predefined guidelines to carry out a particular task, officially prepared and followed by detailed instructions on how that task must be carried out. A procedure should be a written document as it provides details on business actions, based on the company’s goals, objectives and policies, and how employees undertake them. But a procedure should also leave a little extra space for employee initiative in cases where complications arise. It is very important to have a well-prepared procedure in a company. This ensures that employees exactly know the tasks they must accomplish, how to accomplish them, what causes less confusion when different people perform the same task in different ways. It also ensures that the processes run smoothly, effectively, all the information is provided on time to the right sources in the format described in the procedure. A procedure helps an employee to understand the way they must carry out their functions in a company. The better a procedure is written and adapted to a particular task, the smoother the work will be, and the better result achieved. In a case where a task is performed by different people, it is very important to write down who is responsible for what, what the information flow chart is and how it is shared between different team members. That also means that a procedure helps to co-ordinate and control the performance of each task. So, to summarise, a procedure in a company is an officially predefined guidelines to perform a task, that are based on a company’s goals, objectives and policies, are related to sequence, handles repetitive and regular tasks and co-ordinates and controls them.

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Secretary or Receptionist or Administrator? Talking about roles in a company, we often hear “I am a secretary” or “I am a receptionist” or “I am an administrator”. For some, it is clear what duties in the company these people are performing, while others say, “but it's the same, just a different word”. All three positions are vital in the company and all are related to administrative functions. However, those functions differ in how they are performed. The skills and knowledge required to fulfil the roles also differ, often located in different areas of the company's organisational structure. Receptionist or secretary? It is important to mention that secretary and receptionist in some businesses can perform the same duties, while in others, they can be very different. It depends on both the business type and company size. In some articles you can find that a receptionist is mostly common in a healthcare sector and professional service offices, where they handle a customer-focused environment of an office’s front desk, while a secretary performs tasks such as answering phones, responding to emails, scheduling meetings, and organising documents. The main difference is that a receptionist works directly with people while a secretary is more a manager's personal assistant. A receptionist and secretary may have overlapping duties, but it is not the same. Both assist with overall operations of the office, but the secretary focuses on the operations within an office, while receptionist performs customer facing responsibilities. Based on this comparison, we face another dilemma – secretary or administrator? Without deep analysis, both perform the same or similar administrative tasks. However, this is incorrect. A secretary is clerical, involving tasks such as as document transcription, phone calls and emails, scheduling and organising meetings. An administrator focuses on decision making and works independently, while supervising other team members. An administrator can cover some of secretary’s responsibilities, but is an independent player, with more of a leadership role. The secretary mostly works to assist the manager with the coordination of work, communication, while the administrator can perform a wide list of tasks in different departments like accounts, sales, purchasing, human resources etc. The administrator works independently, must have problem solving and decision-making skills, be able to work in a team, have specific skills and knowledge in a particular area of business. Each company has its own way of doing business. Based on how that business is run, specific operations and procedures are created. So, in each company the administrator has to be familiarised with those procedures, trained to perform them, allowed to detect the deficiency of them and offer a plan for improvement. In order to do that, administrator must have skills and knowledge, even experience, in specific areas to perform those duties at the highest standard.

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Business After Hours networking event on April 25th aboard the Viking Boat in Athlone, co-hosted by Viking Tours and HB Safety Athlone. Join us for an evening of engaging conversations and networking opportunities. Details: - Date: Thursday, April 25th - Location: The Viking Boat Athlone - Time: 6:00 to 7:30 PM Don't forget to bring your business cards! Please RSVP to?[email protected]?or call 090 642 0931 to confirm your attendance. We look forward to seeing you there! #NetworkingEvent #BusinessAfterHours #AthloneChamber #Athlone #Ireland

The 90-10 Rule Administration is one of the core elements required for a successful business. It ensures the?business runs effectively. Business administration refers to a very broad range of activities associated with business management, including planning, organising, managing resources, directing, controlling, and budgeting. In short, business administration spans the entire company. The scope of administration depends on the size of the company. Large companies and enterprises hire business administrators to do specific jobs in specific areas. While the owners of small businesses, trying to save financial resources, try to carry out these functions themselves. However, administration is a time-consuming process that requires concentration and knowledge to perform activities efficiently. The owners of small businesses usually concentrate on business activities that generate income - they work with customers and provide services, they sell goods and these activities are the priority for them. Administration is a background activity usually left aside with a thought “I will do it when I have time”. However, to run a business smoothly and effectively, administration can’t be left aside to wait for “when I have time”. Each administration function must be done on time, otherwise an element of delay arises that slows down the whole business and causes hassle. In small businesses, the administration process is very simple. It is time consuming for those who are concentrated on generating income, but easy going for the experts. However, each administrative process is still sensitive to communication between the administrator and business owner. The success of administration depends on both – the administrator and the business owner. The administrator does 90% of the whole business administration, however, without the communication with the owner, the administrator will fail in every aspect of this job. The success of administrator’s job depends on the information flow and clear identifications on the business owner’s needs. That means, that communication is vital. Administrator can effectively perform business administrator tasks only when she/he gets all relevant information on time. The process of providing this information must be set up between administrator and the business owner. And that is that 10% of administration job that the owner does. But this 10% is vital for the success of administrator’s job and business owner must understand this importance. Communication, co-operation and ability to balance this between two people involved to achieve the success in growing business is the key element.