Tuesday 11 December 2012

The Death of Powerpoint



There was a time when, as a medium for getting your message across, Powerpoint was king.  I read an article recently that expanded on the idea that Powerpoint is dead as a presentation medium.  After reading it I had to admit, if it wasn’t dead it is at least looking a little sickly around the edges these days.

When I first started my Virtual Assistant business, I was churning out dozens of Powerpoint presentations every month.  Powerpoint was the bread and butter of my business and every client used one.  Now days I have to admit, it’s been a while since I have put one together.

Many of my clients are presenters and run workshops or speak at other peoples workshops and seminars.  A quick survey of some of them revealed what I had already suspected.  Hardly anyone uses Powerpoint anymore, or certainly not to the extent they previously did.  Why is this I wondered?

There is a term created for presentations where slide after slide of graphics and statistics are shown and the presenter just reads from the slides like cue cards.  It’s called “Death by Powerpoint” and it seems presenters everywhere are so conscious of subjecting their audiences to it, that other methods of getting your message across are now being trialed.

Many speakers are choosing to use their own personalities and presentation styles as means to hold their audience’s attention.  In an age of digital saturation sometimes it is refreshing to just hear a person speak. Props like the old fashioned white board and flip chart are still being used but less reliance is being placed on the need for a “whiz-bang, bells and whistles” Powerpoint .  One of my clients commented: “We’ve got Utube and other social media now to engage with people . “  It seems people don’t want to see more of the same when they come to a workshop they the want practical stuff.  Many of my clients are also doing more webinars now than face-to face workshops.  The overheads are lower and the attendance rate is much the same with the added bonus of being able to “package” your recorded webinar and use it again and again as a training medium.

So where does that leave me and my business of producing Powerpoint presentations?

Like all businesses, the Virtual Assistant industry is not immune to change.  It stands on the cutting edge of technology and there is nothing changing faster than technology at the moment.  Most VA’s are extremely “tech savy” and  as long as there are people in business,  there will be a need for an extra pair of hands in every business.  Changing and evolving are part of the territory.

 www.theexceptionalassistant.com.au

Tuesday 6 November 2012

The Bad Debt



When most people picture a Debt Collector they usually have a mental image of a big burly bloke with a nickname like “Bruiser” or “Ox” who knocks on doors and demands payment.  However , the reality is far from this stereotype.
After five years in business I’ve only had to chase payment of my invoices once. That’s a pretty remarkable statistic in this day and age.  I think it must have to do with the mix of clients I work with.  Small business people tend to grasp the concept that cash flow is pretty important to a business.  When I do get a ‘late payer’ I have these very cute reminder stickers in a lovely non-threatening font that say:
"Your Account is overdue
Please pay us so we can pay our guy, who will pay the other guy,
 who will pay his guy, who will pay another guy and then they can pay YOU!"

I like them.  They kinda say we are all connected and let people know we are all in this together  - so look after each other!
But, I do remember the one time this didn’t work.  I’d send a reminder.  Nothing.  I’d make phone calls. Nothing.  My messages weren’t returned.  The longer the unpaid invoice sat there the more worried I became and angrier I was getting.  It just wasn’t fair and I didn’t know what to do about getting paid.  I had too much sweat and emotion invested in the debt.  Then I realised I needed a champion and I found one.  I called a professional debt collector.

My debt collector was a very quiet spoken and professional gentleman who asked me what steps I’d taken so far to recover my debt.  When I explained that I was not getting anywhere he said he’d be happy to chase the debt and if he was successful his fee was 20% of my outstanding debt.  If he was not successful then there would be no charge for his time and I’d be no worse off than I currently was. ( I think most people would agree 80% of your money is better than no money at all.)
I’m happy to say that after no more than a stern phone call from my Debt Collection Agent to my wayward client, I had my money the very same day.  Outstanding effort! 

If you have a client with an outstanding debt don’t make angry phone calls and fume over it.  Call in a calm and reasonable professional who will get results and can handle your case without emotion.  And leave the “Bruisers” of this world for movies and sit coms.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

The Laptop Vs. The Desktop


My office is small.  I mean seriously tiny.  Some people have a pantry bigger than my office.  (However  let that be no reflection on the A grade work that comes out of it!)  What my workspace lacks in space and grandeur is made up for in efficiency and utilisation of that space.  It’s not the sort of flashy office that you showcase to clients.  It’s a functional space in every sense of the word. 
I recently walked through a display house which had the most luxurious home office with giant walk in storage cupboard, very glamorous mirror finish desk and chic wallpaper and was seriously depressed for days by the size of my humble home office.  I had office envy. 
With my serious lack of space in mind I find myself looking longingly at a smaller PC.  Small in physical size, not necessarily capacity.
One of the joys of my Virtual Assistant job is mobility.  I have a laptop PC.  It’s nothing special, however it  does give me the option of being very  mobile.  Hey, I can even work from the beach at Christmas Time if I’ve got a decent internet connection.  Nobody knows where I am when I’m working.  So, I am beginning to ask myself why do I even maintain a bulky desktop PC?  Time to do some research…
Generally speaking, laptops seem to provide less “bang” for my buck when compared with a comparable desktop computer. The smaller components in a laptop make them more expensive and I think you can see that reflected in the price.
Although there are some things that can be upgraded/replaced in a laptop, it is just not as easy to keep up-to-date and in good repair as a bulky desktop machine. This is a concern for me as my business is technology reliant and I often need to upgrade my equipment to keep pace with technology.  Another factor I need to consider is Ergonomics. With a desktop PC I have more control over the placing of my keyboard, screen height and mouse pad.  A lap top does not allow me this flexibility and given I spend a great deal of my day at the keyboard I need to keep in mind the strain on my neck, shoulders and eyes if I am spending the whole day in a fixed posture.  I don’t need to see my Physio any more often than I already do.
No, I think I am going to have to stick with my desktop and use the lap top when I need  more mobility.  I’ll save my pennies for a bigger office.

www.theexceptionalassistant.com.au

Thursday 12 July 2012

The School Reunion


I recently attended  my 25 year school reunion.  25 years I hear you say?  Yes I nearly choked on it too.
Many people have mixed emotions when faced with a school reunion and I think your personal reaction to one of these invitations is largely based on whether you are happy with where you are in life now and how happy  you are about the person you have become.  I have to say, despite some reservations,  I was actually excited to attend my reunion and curious to see where everyone else has ended up.
My best friend in high school is still my best friend,  so I also had some moral support  from someone who was also feeling the trepidation.  After all The Mean Girls will still be there and still be mean and scary right?  There’s still safety in numbers.
The hilarity is that despite the years, the changed hairstyles, the weight changes, the Botox  and enhancements, (more on that another time), most of us were still immediately recognisable as the same pimple faced teenagers we were when we last met.  And for the most part, after the formal “hellos” we still tended to drift into the familiar old groups.   Hilarious.
On arrival we had been presented with a few mementos of our night, one of which was a copy of the school directory.  At the risk of being labelled a 'private school twat'  I should mention at this point that through the hard work and dedication of my parents, I was privileged enough to attend a private school and this little posh looking blue book was a listing of businesses owned or operated by members of the schools community.  Why is it relevant I hear you ask?  Well it just turns out that my particular target market as a Virtual Assistant happens to be high net worth individuals, consultants, sole traders and businesses and here I was handed a gold mine of contacts in my chosen niche.  And to top it off at the back of this little directory is an invitation to advertise my own services.  Yes please!
It struck me that this method of advertising your business is largely untapped and under rated and directories such as these are by no means limited to private school communities and can be equally effective in primary schools, kndergartens and child care communities.  Depending on the chosen demographic you are targeting, naturally.  By even being a member of one of these community directories a certain level of trustworthiness and credibility is implied which is often the hardest thing to convey or establish in any advertising medium.  After all, any shonky business experience is rapidly exposed to other members of the community and there is the uncomfortable potential of bumping into your disatisfied customer on a daily basis when handling the school drop off and pick up.  Definately something  to be avoided.

www.theexceptionalassistant.com.au