Attitude is Everything!

March 28, 2011 – 11:30 am

We’ve all heard that saying before, but what does it really mean and are you really applying it to your daily life?  According to the dictionary, attitude is a personal view of something.  Two people can look at the same project that’s due and one will view it with a negative mind-set and the other person will view the same project with the opposite point of view; as a challenge, something new to learn, something new to achieve, a new goal.  This can have a dual effect on one’s life.  It can give them a new sense of pride, and that they did something well in their professional life and it will naturally spill over into their personal life resulting in a positive way of thinking.

Many people have a different attitude toward their lives when compared to their work. However, attitude toward life and work is one and the same thing.   If we have an attitude of gratitude toward life in general, that will naturally show through us for people to see.  By the same token, if we carry around an attitude of negativity that will show as well and will probably show up in the office and how we view work in general.  This is not good.

Today, you can change your attitude; change it for the good in life and work.  Nobody has the power to show us what tomorrow will bring.  Being thankful today for our work life and our personal life goes a long way; we start to see things differently.

I’m not talking about putting on the proverbial rose-colored glasses and ‘poof’ everything looks good.  No, we start by choosing to see things in a more positive manner.  Every encounter we may have in life has a negative and positive side.  However, when we choose to do our best and look for the positive with the present projects at work and in our personal life; we start to give our best to whatever situation presents itself to us that very day.

If you’ve had a hard time seeing the positive side to things, it might take a while to change your attitude.  But it’ll be one of the best changes you make in your life today.

You’ll start to see new opportunities as just that, new opportunities not as something daunting and negative to slow your workload down or as a burden to your personal life.

Remember, the positive effort you put into your job and your personal life will come back to you in a positive way.  You will definitely surprise yourself as to how many things you’ll be able to accomplish and accomplish well with this new positive attitude!

By Marion | Posted in My blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

10 No Brainer Tips for Keeping Your Sanity When Working from Home!

March 21, 2011 – 9:15 pm

When you run your own business, time can fly by and before you know it you’re still working into the wee hours of the morning.  Working for yourself is fun; after all, that’s why you left the world of drudging through someone else’s 8-5-work day!

However, there are many distractions that can also fill our day when we work from home that can drag you down, ruin your health, and increase your stress levels.

Following are some amazing tips that will keep you working steadily and keep you mentally and physically healthy!

  1. Set your alarm.  Keep your bedtime and wake up time consistent through out the workweek.
  2. Get dressed.  Getting dressed, brushing your teeth, washing your face, eating breakfast all get you in the work frame of mind.
  3. Have an office space in your house that you keep as only your office.  Don’t let the room become crowded with storage or nick knacks that will distract you from the work you need to get done.
  4. Plan your day, the day before.  Before 5 o’clock comes around, make a list of what you want to accomplish the next day.  This keeps your momentum going through out the week.
  5. Take time for lunch.  Plan a lunch meeting out of the house with a friend or someone in your field that you can talk to and keep each other inspired.  Eating on a consistent basis, just as you did when you worked for someone else, breaks up the day and refreshes your mind.
  6. If you need a mental break from writing or a project, go outside for a brisk 10-minute walk and clear your head.  You’d be amazed what some fresh air will do to rejuvenate you!
  7. When your family and friends know you work from home, you’ll be tempted to answer their calls and talk.  However, this doesn’t work.  It only distracts you from the work you need to get done, especially if you’re on tight client deadlines.
  8. When 5 pm comes, stop working.  Relax for the evening, eat dinner and enjoy your time off.  And that means weekends as well.  If you do your work during the week, you’ll enjoy your weekend off and be refreshed come Monday morning!
  9. Make sure to keep to your hours.  Your clients will admire your work ethic and know that you’re serious about your business and the work you do for them.
  10. While you may have clients in other times zones, it’s okay to adjust your schedule to meet their conference calls and deadlines.

By following these simple steps, you will find yourself accomplishing more than you think you could!  If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

By Marion | Posted in My blog, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

What Makes a Great Project Manager?

March 4, 2011 – 7:44 pm

Inside the Mind of a Project Manager

When faced with a new, and perhaps daunting project, clearly defined guidelines are a necessity for success. The following tips apply to projects of all sizes and
ensure a smooth transition from in-house to client approval to final outlet whether print, television, blog, outdoor or other social media outlets.

Begin your project with the completion date in mind.  Now remember, this date can be altered as necessary.

Ask yourself:  When is this project due, and for what medium: print, outdoor, television, blog, client presentation with their or your potential new customer?

  1. Once you know what medium will be used, you need to make contact with them to find their due date for material submission. Sometimes there are a couple of dates, one being the submission date and the other one is known in the industry as the “Drop Dead” date.  This is the secret date by which they must absolutely have the material. If you have a good working relationship (a must in the industry) with the media outlets, you can work with them should an internal deadline or client deadline be missed.
  2. Once you have these two dates: the normally scheduled material due date and a drop-dead date you can start working backwards.
  3. Use bullet points for goals that need to be achieved.
  4. Next to these bullet points, put a date.  For instance, you need client approval, as well as in-house creative meetings and production meetings with the account executive and the creative staff appointed for the project. Direction and internal approval must first be obtained before the client sees it.
  5. Build in time for revisions, meeting cancellations and the “unknown” Murphy’s Law, which, by the way, happens to all of us at one point or another!
  6. You’ll end up with actually two time lines:  one internal time line and the other your client’s time line.  Advanced project mangers manage to incorporate the two.
  7. Another good piece of advice is to find out in advance of starting your time line, all vacation schedules of those who are a part of the project.  By doing this, you will naturally move dates around, get client approval and still be able to move forward with the projects natural flow of the time line.
  8. Now go back to that end date and see how the items match up to the goal.
  9. Ask yourself, is there enough “extra/spare” time built into this project for unforeseen lapses in work flow?  If not, adjust the dates accordingly always keeping in mind that Drop Dead date from step 1.

By taking these simple steps you can avoid major headaches and prepare for the unknown factors that can interrupt your daily routine in getting a project done.

By Marion | Posted in My blog | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

So You Want to Start Your Own Business?

November 8, 2010 – 8:40 pm

Starting your own company is exciting, daunting and can be overwhelming at times.  However, see it as fun and a learning experience.

What should you name it? Consistency starts with your company name, keep it consistent with your what you do. It must be simple and be recognizable with out any doubt as to what your business is all about. The most important thing a business owner can do to keep his/her company looking professional is consistency from naming your company to the colors of the words and logos and slogans to the font you’ll be using for all your communications.

I know this is the fun part and maybe the most time consuming for most. But I really encourage you to think long and hard about the company’s name. Write them down, show them to your friends, colleagues and family. See which one they respond to the most. You have to be able to take constructive criticism when it comes to naming your company. And don’t forget, at some point, you’ll want to make a domain name. So it shouldn’t be too long. It should be clear and concise.

Logos. After deciding on what your business name is going to be, think about your logo. Will you even need a logo? Some names are so good, they don’t need a logo. But if you decide to have a logo, think about how it will go with your company name. Does it match, what colors will be used? Will the logo take over the name? There are so many generic logos out there that people use, make sure it doesn’t look like someone else’s or they may think of that company and not yours! You may want to use a graphic designer to come up with something original for your company.

Tag names or slogans. Again, does your company name need one? And while you’re doing all this, keep in mind how it will look on company letterhead, business cards, greeting cards, t-shirts, give-a-ways, etc.  Once you’ve reached the final stage of naming your business, register it as a the domain name because you’re going to want a website next.

Remember, sometimes simplicity is the best, less is more.  When you’ve decided on colors, names, slogans, etc., think about the font your want to use. Again, keep it simple, it doesn’t have to be fancy, it has to be readable!

Once you have decided on everything, type out a letterhead with your information on it. Take a look, show it to people. What do they think? Take their remarks, think about them and in the end, decide on what makes you happy within these guidelines. I’m sure you’ll be happy with the final outcome!

If you have any questions on how to go about this, email me and I will help you out as best as I can! Remember, I want you to succeed!!

Till next time!
Marion

By Marion | Posted in My blog | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Confessions of a Virtual Assistant

August 16, 2010 – 3:26 pm

Hello and welcome to my blog, “Confessions of a Virtual Assistant”.

It’s taken a while to get the time to actually sit down and write.  Usually my time is reserved for my clients.  However, it’s been in the back of my mind for quite some time.  So the time has come to just do it.

It is my intention that through blogging, you will gain insight into the world of being a virtual assistant.  I hope to give you tips and tricks that will make marketing, advertising, copy writing and other business essentials easier for you.  Whether you are a business owner or another virtual assistant, there are many issues that can make or break a company.

As a virtual assistant, when it comes to my clients, I’m there.  Whether their business is located locally or across the world, their work is very important to me.  What they do interests me.  How they do what they do interests me.

After being in the advertising industry for many years, my brain has been conditioned to brainstorm 24/7.  It’s been trained to think, look, invent, and recreate.  Big ideas, small ideas—it doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that I let my clients know the ideas I have for their business.  Most often, an objective point of view is welcomed.

In my next blog, I will write about the “consistent look” that every virtual assistant should know how to do for a company and if you’re a business owner, how to achieve that look.

Thanks for visiting my blog.  I hope you visit again!   Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions or questions.

Yours truly,

Marion

By Marion | Posted in My blog | Comments (0)