01.26.08
Posted in Genealogy at 9:25 pm by CMJ Office
Genealogy is one of my passions. I love researching census records, uncovering old ship logs, discovering birth and death records, and basically uncovering lost family histories. I have always been interested in history. It was my minor in college. However, this interest took on a whole new life when I met my future husband. I remember one of my first questions.
What are you?
This happened to be a very common question where I grew up. Everyone I lived around was typically 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation Americans. When asked this question, you would always respond with your family’s ancestral homeland. So, when my future hubby looked at me strangely and then replied, “American”, I was shocked. I was shocked because I truly couldn’t believe that he did not know his ancestry. I still have family ties in Ireland.
Of course you are American, but what country did your ancestors leave before coming to America?
He had absolutely no idea. My adventure into the world of genealogy began. I have discovered a lot along the way and now offer my experience through CMJ Office, my virtual business. I soon discovered that my husband had a very good reason for not having this knowledge. It just so happens that his family has been in America since the time of the Pilgrims. His family line stretches so far backwards in American history that I am still blown away by it. He came along for the ride discovering different and interesting articles, records and trivia. If your family can stretch backwards in American or English histories, you have hit the genealogical jackpot. Records abound and you will discover much about your family.
Don’t despair if your family roots are from another country. There are still records to be found. If you are like my husband and do not know your ancestry, what are you waiting for? It’s an exciting journey to take and the main attraction is you! Let me help you discover your past.
So, I ask you, “Where did your ancestors call home”?
Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office
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01.19.08
Posted in Virtual Ass't Info at 7:04 pm by CMJ Office
Are you feeling stressed? Are you running yourself ragged trying to organize your life or office? Are you constantly taking paperwork home from the office to try and stay on top of things? Do you spend too much time updating your calendar when you want to be focusing on other aspects of your business?
If you have that nagging feeling that these scenarios sound like your life, you need to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA).
A Virtual Assistant is an administrative professional that works from a home office. A VA is someone with administrative experience, certifications, training and the ability to assist your business on many levels.
You may now be thinking, “Wow, that sounds great. How do I find a VA?”
Good question. There are several organizations you can search for qualified Virtual Assistants. These organizations have directories that you can search. They also have a Request for Proposal (RFP) system you may utilize. I am only going to list a few of these organizations. CMJ Office is affiliated with them and they are some of the best within the virtual assistant industry.
The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce, VACOC
The International Virtual Assistant Association, IVAA
The Virtual Assistant Networking Association, VANA
Military Spouse Virtual Assistants – Staffcentrix, LLC
There are several things you should do when planning to hire a VA. First, establish what extra assistance your business needs. For instance, do you need new templates, new forms, brochures, flyers, manuals, business cards, or business letters? Some companies may need assistance with their email communications, scheduling appointments, calendar maintenance, client relationships, mailing services, or database management. Other companies need assistance with writing newsletters, blogs, ezines, press releases, and other marketing tools. Virtual Assistants can also provide bookkeeping services, web design, travel and event planning. Some Virtual assistants specialize in specific fields for legal or real estate assistance. This is why a business owner should ascertain their specific desires and needs before searching for their VA. This is meant to help you find the perfect VA for your company.
Second, please make sure your VA is qualified. There are many people in the industry. Most are qualified. Unfortunately, some are not. If someone states that they have several years of administrative experience, it does not mean that they are qualified to be a virtual assistant. I have worked with many people during my lifetime that did not have the knowledge they needed to perform their job well. I think it is important if a VA can provide you with a recommendation, affiliation, or even some vital credentials to show that they are knowledgeable within their field.
Third, make sure the VA is licensed and insured. Can you imagine your stress levels going down if your VA wasn’t licensed and insured? I can’t.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. It is essential. Whether you decide to communicate via phone or email, it just matters that you both can communicate effectively and comfortably with each other. When this occurs between a business and a VA, it is great for both. Make sure that you communicate your business goals, needs and desires to your VA. Once you are both on the same page, watch the progress and smile. Your stress will melt away.
These are just a few guidelines for relieving your stress by hiring a VA. Stressing over office paperwork and such will start to dissipate once you hire a VA. Seriously, your VA is vested in your company. It is a business to business partnership. A VA wants your business to flourish. Once you find the perfect VA, you can rely upon them. What a great calming influence. Isn’t it great to be able to push that paperwork over to someone who actually loves to do it? And, from a VA perspective, it’s great to have that worked pushed my way!
Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office
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01.13.08
Posted in Virtual Ass't Info at 6:11 pm by CMJ Office
Is your office running smoothly?
Do new employees know your office procedures?
Do current employees follow procedures?
If your answer falls short of “yes” to any of the above questions, you will need to update your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). A business should review an SOP annually. This document should explain your office procedures in detail, step by step and to the point. This will enhance employee efficiency while providing your company with an effective organizational and training tool.
Once an SOP is written, make sure that it is readily available for reference or training purposes. Filing an SOP away and out of sight is out of the question.
A great guide for writing an SOP can be found at Work.com. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact CMJ Office.
Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office
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01.06.08
Posted in Virtual Ass't Info at 3:18 pm by CMJ Office
I keep receiving apologies from clients for the work they send my way. I usually get an email that says something like, “Sorry. I will send something more interesting next time.” I find this hard to understand. I have never commented. I normally just ignore that part of the email and/or conversation. I continue on with business related issues. Those innocent apologies do weigh on me. When I hear or read these apologies, I often become puzzled and sometimes chuckle a little to myself.
Why am I puzzled? All the work I take is fun for me. Yes, it is fun! In essence, this is why I started my business. I enjoy everything that I do administratively. It is my passion. My creative juices flow and get excited when tasked with duties that most people consider boring and horrible. I love setting up databases, updating them, sorting them, and making them flow better. I live for building a form, flyer, brochure, letter, quote, or manual even from scratch. Internet research is fascinating for me. Putting the administrative side of my being aside for a moment, a family genealogy chart is a true challenge for me. I love a good challenge. I find uncovering family histories and discovering where people came from originally extremely exciting.
So, please don’t apologize for sending work my way. It is never boring or tedious. I always enjoy doing the work. I truly do. Think of it as a win-win situation. A client wins because the work they need done is going to be completed. I win because I am being sent work I love to do. We both end up happy in the end.
Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office
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01.02.08
Posted in Chat at 3:29 am by CMJ Office
I’m starting the new year off discussing position descriptions. While assisting some small business clients, I have witnessed time and again the lack of position descriptions especially for the office staff. It seems that some small business owners have them and some do not. While some small business owners do have position descriptions, some of them do not utilize them. Position descriptions are a valuable tool for any business. They alleviate discrepancies, unaccomplished work, confusion within the office, and co-worker rivalry. These are just some of the problems that I’ve witnessed while virtually assisting small businesses. Position descriptions describe the employee’s duties and responsibilities. This is essentially how the employee receives your expectations for their work performance. This resource protects the business owner in many situations.
How might a business owner utilize a position description you might ask?
For starters, you can use a position description to fulfill yearly review obligations. Yes, your employees should receive yearly job performance reviews. This is something else I have noticed slipping to the side in some small businesses. How else will your employee and you gauge their performance? This does not need to be a lengthy and time consuming process. A yearly review can take 15-30 minutes and cover all your expectations and reviews while receiving employee feedback.
You may use them to address work performance, whether exemplary or poor. Position descriptions are extremely easy to use regarding employee performance. It should all be laid out. Follow the position description as a guide for your review. An employee cannot argue that they were unaware of a job duty if it is written in ink.
Up-to-date position descriptions also help a business owner when hiring new employees. New employees will not need to keep asking you job related questions if they can refer to an informative position description. They save time and energy. I will be discussing Standard Office Procedures (SOP’s) in a future blog. In my opinion, an SOP is also essential to running an office smoothly.
If you have a multi-level position within your company, how to attain each level should be addressed within the position description. For example: Head Secretary – Office Manager – Business Assistant. Each stage of this job should be explained completely in the position description. You may also have three separate position descriptions for this one job. Each separate position description would list all additional responsibilities and how to attain (be promoted to) the next level of the job. Phases can be attained through years of experience, job knowledge, added responsibilities, or a combination of all these categories.
Once you have well developed and maintained position descriptions, your employees will know what duties to perform. Hopefully, this helps work flow smoothly within the office. Position descriptions really do help keep disgruntled employees at bay and they protect your business. These are just a few problems regarding a lack of position descriptions that I have encountered while virtually assisting small business owners. Remember, position descriptions are good for you and your office.
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