One Hazard of Being A Personal Assistant

Posted on 09. Jul, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

I wrote  my recent resignation letter and don’t judge me till you hear the details!

Despite the job being a lucrative one,  about three weeks ago I had to resign again as P.A to my boss (who else would I have been P.A to but my boss?)  *sobbing out loud*

OK, here’s why…

My boss returned from a trip and told me he was tired and asked me to get him olive oil.  I dashed off to get one (“what’s a P.A for if not for errand affairs?”) The Ministers P.A is the Minister of Errand affairs … which I happened to be!

When i returned with the olive oil, he  thanked me, and then I began to pack my bag getting  ready to go home. As I was approaching the stairs to bid him farewell, he told me he needed a massage. “sure thing sir, lemme get your masseuse on the phone”, i said.

err…he called  and said, “can you define the word ‘Personal Assistant’ …?!?”
shocked to my marrow…I stammered as the real meaning dawned on me…hmmn…talk about job hazards!!!

…you really don’t want to know what followed…

takea…till I’m stable again!!!

Writer: Younique

Photo Credit: John Richardson

Running a Home-Based Business?

Posted on 18. Jun, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

Working from home requires a high degree of discipline. You no longer have a boss looking over your shoulder and for some this is too much to handle and they take their freedom to the extreme. If you fail to be disciplined, your home-based business will fail and you will have to do the dreadful task of finding a job with an employer again. So, there are some do’s and don’ts you need to follow when running a home-based business. Take the time to follow them and you will increase the chances of having a successful business.

• Probably the most important thing you need to remember when running a home-based business is that it is just that – a business. You need to get up at a set time everyday and designate a time to work and how many hours you are going to work. Home-based business owners are usually never paid by the hour but by the completed product or service. So there are going to be those days when you have to work extra to meet a deadline or get a product delivered. But you should have a somewhat normal schedule that also allows for some time off.

• As part of the healthy separation of work from home never under any circumstance give out your home telephone number as the business number. Get yourself a separate phone line or cell phone to use as the business phone. If you don’t do this you will be quickly haunted by the overbearing customer who thinks you never bathe, eat, or sleep. This is especially the case if you provide services worldwide via the Internet. There is nothing like getting a call in the middle of the night from someone on the other side of the world who wants a status on their project. You have to separate work from personal life even though both take place in the same venue.

• Minimize the distractions when working from home. You actually should have a separate room for an office with a door you can close. This is important because it will minimize family dropping in for whatever non-emergency reason. Also, you may have a problem at first with friends calling you up or dropping by all the time to ask you a favor because, well, you have the time because you work from home. At least that is their perception – that you have time. Make it clear to them that you are at work and you have to work. Stand your ground or they will quickly waste your valuable time.

• And part of minimizing distractions is to avoid chasing rabbits. What is meant by this is to avoid doing other things instead of sticking to the task at hand. If you worked for a company, you wouldn’t be browsing the Internet for fun (or maybe you would but you can’t afford to now). You wouldn’t be taking one hour breaks every 15 minutes either. This is where the high degree of discipline is really needed.

So manage your time and resources properly and you will probably have a successful business. Work hard and play hard. That is one of the keys to a successful home-based business.

Writer: Terence Young

Photo Credit: Tanya

Do You Have What It Takes To Start A Small Business?

Posted on 06. May, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

Are you cut out to start your own small business?

Some people are better off working for someone else then they are to take the plunge and start a small business of their own.

Statistics tell us that over 45% of small businesses fail within the first two years of starting up. On the other hand, millions of self-made business owners have gone on to become millionaires. So what do you need to become one of the successful ones? Don’t worry if you don’t have everything it takes. Training can develop many of the so-called essentials. All you really need to know are which ones are your strengths and which are your weaknesses.

Here are some traits you’ll need. It’s up to you to decide if you’ve got them, or if you’ll work on getting them.

Common sense. If you’re not sure whether you’ve got it, ask your family. It’s the ability to make sound judgments about all manner of life issues. It can be a combination of past experience and knowledge and will help you get to the core of a problem by simplifying it.

Specialized knowledge of your field. It’s no use jumping into something about which you know nothing. Most successful businessmen have gained much valuable experience in their trade well before they went into business for themselves.

Self Confidence. When you start out in small business, the buck will usually stop with you. You are the one who has to make difficult decisions and wear the consequences. This is not always something you either have or don’t have. You may have it in one area or situation and lack it in another. Training will help you to get it.

The ability to get things done. This is actually self-discipline. It’s no use deciding to take the day off because it’s sunny and the surf’s up. There are things requiring your attention and if you leave them they won’t get done. On the other hand, it’s no use being on the job if you fritter the time away on menial talks that should be delegated.

Creativity. Sure it’s been done that way since Adam, but there could be a better way to do it – one that will save you time and money.

Ability to lead. Do you get along with others or is there a long line of dissatisfied staff, customers, clients, friends and relatives behind you? Your ability to lead and get people to do great work is paramount to your success in business.

Self reliance. If you can’t rely on yourself, whom can you rely on? You need to be able to set goals and do whatever it takes to reach them. Sure you’ll have others under you – eventually, but many small business owners need first to rely on themselves. If you want to start a small business, the best thing to do is get in there and have a go. You can learn as you go, but make sure you listen to others advice, even if you don’t always follow it. Being open to new ideas and advice is important too.

If you want to start a small business and don’t feel like you have the traits to be successful maybe you need to develop them. The traits listed above can all be developed to the point the are habitual. It takes time and effort. Sometimes it comes down to getting out of your comfort zone and as Nike said in their commercials “Just Do it.”

About the writer:

Jeff Schuman invites you to visit his small business resources website for everything you need to start and run your own successful small business. http://www.sites-plus.com

…When A Woman Ruled The World!

Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

If women rule the world, would everything really change, will the world be a better place for it? In ABC’s hit drama Commander in Chief, a woman rules the world! If you have ever tried to run across a damp grass with your high heels on, then you might have an idea of how tough it was for her to lead a troubled nation, it felt like she would sink the next minute, but then she kept coming out of every sinking hole and made it across the field.

The fictional character , President Mackenzie Allen is a typical representation of women who don’t wait to be given power, but rather stand up and go get what they want, especially in an enabling environment.

With her strategic decision making skills and her strong emotional intelligence she showed us that women hold the control to their emotions even when in a position of leadership. They know when to consult their feminine instincts and when to totally override them. If you are already imagining a not-too-distant future in which increasing numbers of women reach the top ranks of politics and business, here are few practical and relevant tips you can go away with from President Mackenzie Allen, for your excellence as you climb up the ladder.

Be Assertive

It has often been said that women need to learn how to stoop to conquer, but seriously there are times when you can only win the battle when standing on your feet! Know that passiveness rarely get things done, let people know where you stand on issues and don’t hesitate to voice your concerns and disagreements. A woman who is confident in who she is, is able to communicate that to others in her words and most importantly, her actions. It’s not about being aggressive, but the ability to communicate clearly to others in a way that is both assertive and respectful at the same time.

Be Supportive

Being a great leader is not just about showing your superiority in things, rather it would be a wise idea for you to give constant direction for your team and provide them with the resources to achieve their goals with ease. Always ensure you praise them when the job is well done and criticize when needed. If you wish for any job to be well done, you need to approach the matter professionally if the work is not really up to your expectations.

Be Sensitive

Leaders should be willing and able to show their emotions when appropriate and must be sensitive to the need of the people you they work with. You must be able to communicate, influence, initiate change and accept change. Also your senses must be at alert always, if you smell a rat, set a trap, and if you see a rising tide, stack the sandbags.

Be Proactive

Being proactive means taking conscious control over your life, setting goals and working to achieve them. Instead of reacting to events and waiting for opportunities, you go out and create your own events and opportunities. Being proactive means that instead of merely reacting to events as they happen, you consciously engineer your own events. Don’t wait till when the world will give you opportunities, stand up, go out and create one for yourself!

Be Creative

Creativity is an essential tool for a leader, it involves using your imagination extensively to constantly invent, experiment and take risks for your eventual growth . By using your imagination you can generate and evaluate different options and alternatives available before making a final decision on any issue.

Be Intuitive

After considering everyone’s opinion, let your internal compass guide you. Intuition has often been undermined as a valuable woman’s trait, but many women have found it to be a valuable way of making decision. Intuition is receiving input and ideas without knowing exactly how and where you got them from, it often happens when you are highly focus on the activity at hand. It might be as a result of the interplay of the knowledge you have gathered about the activity and the universe trying to tell you something.

Be Effective

Don’t just be all talk and no action, devise ways to achieve your goals and get all the resources you will need to make the change you desire to occur.  You need to develop the ability to think straight, see past stifling conventional wisdom and develop fact-based insight.

Being effective also requires being good with people, having the ability to stir, influence, and change people. Almost everything in life worth accomplishing involves being effective with people, it plays a huge role in fulfilling our life vision and achieving our goals, from finding the perfect job to finding the perfect mate; from negotiating a deal on a major purchase to running a company or providing for a family.

Be Reflective

No matter how tight your schedule is, find a peaceful and private time to be alone with yourself. Spend time alone to refuel your spirit, think, meditate, pray, and escape from the stress of daily life.

Re-assure yourself of your life goals and what you want to achieve, you will sure feel refreshed and energized ready to face your daily life with inner joy. Carving out time for a ‘quiet time’ can seem an unattainable luxury, yet it is within our grasps if we really want it, taking care of your soul is a basic human need and not a luxury.

© Femme Lounge

Control Your Finances!

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

Control Your Finances!

Sometimes we certainly cannot control the circumstances that could put us into  financial trouble, but we do not have to stay there. In most cases, steps can be taken that will help to reverse the situation – even if it takes a long time. Here are few tips  that will enable you to get started in the right direction.

1. Live Within Your Means

This means that you need to make a decision to buy those necessary things first, and learn to say “No” to the rest, at least until you can save for it.

2.  Don’t Try To Get So Much Too Fast

Many financial problems seem to start right here. Young people want what their parents had, and they want to enjoy all those comforts, right now. But it seems that they fail to realize that it took their parents many years to get where they are now. They do not seem to understand that great part of having a halfway comfortable lifestyle is to do it without a lot of debt.

3. Develop A Budget

A budget is one of those things that people use who either a). do not have unlimited spending resources, and b). want to stay out of debt. It gives you a means to control effectively one of your greatest personal resources – your money, and allows you to use it most successfully.

4. Don’t Forget About Comparison Shopping

Unless you are rich , you probably have a need to save on money somewhere. Through doing comparison shopping for many of your purchases, it can help you to save money on a regular basis. Sometimes we want some things so bad when we see them, that we feel we must have it right now – even if the store across the street might have it for sale at 10% less.

6. Control Your Finances

A simple thing that many people fail to do is to seek to set their finances in order in such a way that they know where the money is going. If you regularly are asking “Where is all my money going,” then this is probably true of you. In most cases of this sort, people who start keeping a record of their expenses often end up being surprised at how much they spend on trivial things.

7. Have  Savings For Future Needs And Wants

Every now and then, a little unexpected emergency can come up for which we need some money on hand. Whether it is a medical reason, or just a trip we can take, having some cash set aside can provide for some great opportunities and unforgettable moments. Each month set aside part of your income .

Writer: Joe Kenny

8 Ways To Make Money This Christmas

Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

Christmas Moonlighting

Get your dictionary and look for the meaning of the word…. moonlighting.

Ok, now you know.

When I think of Christmas, I think parties, functions and holidays! But for a business owner, Christmas and the opportunities that arise at that time of the year should mean much, much more. We all know that Christmas is fun, but have you ever thought of using it as an opportunity to improve your business and its many relationships

Christmas means different thing to different people, it’s a period of family reunion, a time of celebration. Now is also the time to bring out my contact list and renew my friendship, maybe do a business or two.

While we are trying to get all the excitement out of Christmas, wouldn’t it be a good time to moonlight? Here are few moonlighting options I would like to share;

• Delivery Business: Remember that Xmas is a time for gift exchange. Remembering that, the world is global, where people work and live in different places. For individuals travelling, and would like to get gifts for their faraway friend.  Why don’t you be the channel there and make some money, if even it would just be buying you a pair of shoe. I bet you will wear it with pride because you worked and earned it. In Nigeria, delivery business is very convenient, though you need be careful and make sure you inspect all the items that your customer wants delivered to be sure, you aren’t passing across contrabands. You can walk on to any registered transport business, and send it through them. Have a contact at the other end that would help you dispatch and deliver these gifts.

• Decorating Business: you would say, there are 1001 decorating company out there, this is Christmas, the month is over-saturated with celebrations, and you would have more than enough to do. Even if you don’t feel up to large scale decorating, how about home decorating for individuals that would be working into the yuletide season. You just need to ask, to get. Ask people around you if they would need help with their home decoration.

• Christmas tree decoration: It sounds not too different, but it is. Individuals would prefer if they have well decorated Xmas tree. Put your thinking cap on; bring some Christmas tree to life.

• Cuisine/Sweet Tooth ideas: I don’t mean jollof rice and chicken, every home would be cooking that. Do you know how to make cookies, fish fingers, rolls, flavored yoghurt, cakes, fruit platter, Chinese meals, and kebab? Put them in fanciful Xmas bags, take it to your church, offices, friends and sell.

• Gift Ideas (Knitting, Paper painting, customized cards): You don’t have to be an artist to pull this one. Get the business, meet the artist and deliver the products. Customized items would be hot on the list of most businesses now. If you can knit, now is the time to do simple but beautiful handcraft jobs for the festive season.

• Ice Supply: Now this might be for the limited few with the means of having uninterrupted power supply and a big freezer. A party usually means chilled drinks. Put your freezer to good use, make the water clean, and sit in your house, let the money walk to you.

• Party ushering: Most event planning and management business would have their hands full this season. Why not give a bit of your time, good opportunity to attend a party, network and make new friends. Be an usher at a party.

• After Party Clean up: Festive season brings with it a lot of waste, and that aspect of events is usually overlooked. Talk to event organizers today and make your proposition of cleaning after each of their events. Get a handful of young chaps to help you. Earn cool money Why not think about making use of your rickety car, hiring a pick up van for the season, go and clean after every party. A good opportunity to meet people too, you get invited to parties.

Now beware, am sure you are seeing possibilities in all this activities, but there are certain crime you must never commit at Christmas, Business disappointment at Christmas are the most difficult to forget, because it poses the most embarrassing moments to your customers. You must stick to your word and deliver promptly

You must be timely

You must be beautiful. Nobody would give you a job to do if you look dirty or unkempt. This is Christmas!!!

You must be really creative. You must do it excellently. For all your proposed job ideas, you have to be very unique at it, put some creativity into your business. Stand out. Leave a good impression; get the job all year round…. Who knows?

While you are in this money making, fun catching season, remember the reason of Christmas. Christ gave up his life, for us to have life; He became sin, for us to be purged of our sin. Why not join in his kingdom and experience the joy that comes with giving. Give your life to Christ and give a meaningful gift to someone in need.

Other moonlighting ideas welcome.

Writer: Tunbosun Oke

Whistle While You Work!

Posted on 12. Oct, 2009 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

♫Whistle while you work, la la la la la la ♫, so sang the Princess turned Housekeeper in the renowned animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as she passionately turned the daunting and not-so-rewarding task of house cleaning into an exciting one. If only more employees can boast of such excitement and satisfaction at work!

Would you work for money or passion? It’s an age long question probably as old as work itself and job seekers often wish they could have both. Statistics have shown that job satisfaction and financial rewards are two of the most important factors that influence employees’ choice of job. But in these times of rising unemployment and unstable income, is it becoming a pointless expectation to desire a meaningful yet well paying job? Should you just be happy that you have a job at all, even if it is just a meaningless chore that gives you no happiness?

Femme Lounge takes a closer look at the situation by sharing the story of four young women’s journey to find balance in their jobs, and also offer alternative ways of finding balance between your passion and financial satisfaction in and out of the workplace.

A Helper Who Needs Help.

She has always been passionate about social work since she was a teenager and despite her degree in Architecture, she opted for a job with a local NGO. *Njambi is absolutely in love with the job but her salary is embarrassingly insufficient. She can only afford her bus tickets and two meals a day, and at 27 years she still depends on her mother to meet her other financial needs. She is now resenting her job and is wondering if she made a mistake by consulting her passion before her financial needs.

Advice

Njambi should look for another job in other NGOs that can offer her better financial rewards, or consider transferring her skills to another industry entirely, for instance if what she enjoyed about the NGO is solving people’s problem, she can transfer that skill to customer care or human resources roles in another company that will offer her a better financial reward.She can also choose to keep her present job but then look for other ways of making money outside of work, that way she will make some money on the side while doing the job she loves.

Some Big Girls Still Cry.

*Isabella jumped at the first job offer she got after her graduation from University; it is a call center agent role at a Telecoms Company. The salary is very good and is regularly reviewed with mouth watering allowances. She is financially satisfied but she detests her job so much, she hates that she has to sit all day attending to angry customers and feels she should be doing a lot more than that with herself. She would rather be a school teacher although she has no formal training in teaching.

Advice

Finding a teaching job might not come so easy since she doesn’t have a qualification or prior experience in that area, but if she is really determined about it she can start by taking up necceary courses and trainings that will make her attractive to employers in the education sector.She can also choose to keep her job but look for outlets for her passion outside work, since she likes being around children she can consider volunteering with children clubs and related organizations in her spare time, while she still keeps her job, that way she will get both needs met, just not in the same place.

Losing Out On Both Ends

*Carol is a graduate with a degree in Mass Communication who also loves to bake cake. After many unsuccessful attempts at getting a job in a media company she took up a job as a Showroom Manager in a furniture company; she is poorly paid and has a mean Supervisor. She feels mental, physical and emotional exhaustion at the end of every day, yet still resumes at work the next morning because she is afraid of being jobless. She feels like a slave, doing so much dirty hardwork and all for nothing!

Advice

Whether Carol decides to stay back or resign , she needs to intensify her efforts at getting another job, she should broaden her search from media companies to PR, Advertising, Event Management or any other company where she can get a role that strongly matches her skills, knowledge,  and personality. She might also have to take courses and trainings to make her more attractive to employers. While at it, she could look for alternative source of income and other outlet for her talents and passion. Since she loves baking, she can also make some money from it.

She’s Got It All!

*Vera is a Project Manager with a construction company who started out as an administrative assistant in the same company four years earlier. She enjoys putting her management and administrative skills to use every day and nothing excites her more than the successful execution of every building project she manages. She says she loves what she does and she is being paid superbly for it.

Advice

She should simply enjoy it!

Writer – Shola Okubote

* Not their real names.

Thank God, It's Monday!

Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by Lounge Lady in Life @ Work

Does your heart beat faster with anxiety when your alarm rings on Monday mornings, do you wish the weekend is longer than your work days? Then try these tried and tested secrets to overcoming the awful Monday-Phobia. So far we have been able to prove it worked absolutely well for few people, let’s see if it can work for you too.

Finish up

Don’t push till Monday what you can do on Friday, don’t leave your work unfinished to rush with excitement into the Friday evening partying. Whatever you run away from on Friday will surely be waiting for you on Monday morning, you wouldn’t even want to be fretting over that last nagging bit of work over the weekend. So make that call, send that email, go for that meeting, and submit that report. Who needs a screaming boss, a disgruntled client or an irritated collegeaue on a Monday morning anyway?

Clear out

You shouldn’t leave your workspace untidy before you leave on Friday, coming to a neat and organized workspace on Monday could boost your mental prowess.

Tidy up, clear out your desk, file appropriately, do the shredding, put stationeries in the right places, sort out the files on your jam-packed desktop and if possible do a quick note of what to do next week in readiness for your work on Monday.

If you are going straight into a meeting or making a presentation on Monday morning, don’t wait till you are in the Monday morning traffic to tidy up your notes, think it through on Friday before leaving and perfect it over the weekend.

Enjoy

Have loads of fun! Make sure you enjoy and maximize your weekend, spend time with loved ones, make calls, exercise, watch TV, try out something new, simply do what makes you happy!

If your job is not particularly what you enjoy, you might want to get involved in something that you are passionate about, help with the vintage shop at church, speak at the community youth meeting, go for hair making lessons, and help a friend plan her wedding. Creating time to do what you love helps you release your passionate and positive energy and leaves you with a refreshing feeling of fulfillment.

Refuel

Most times you will have a pile of undone house work, family events, and many other things to attend to at weekends, and because you are trying to do as much as you can in a short while, it could leave you exhausted. Don’t go into the next week with that feeling of exhaustion, no matter how tight your schedule is.

Spend time alone to refuel your spirit, think, meditate, pray and study. Re assure yourself of your life goals and what you want to achieve, you will sure feel refreshed and re energized ready to face the new week.

Plan

Don’t just rush into the Monday make a good plan for the week, think through all you have to do in the coming week and make a to-do list for work and for your personal stuff too. If possible fix a day in the week and a specific time for each of the task. Which client to follow up, when to finish the proposal, time for the training, when to call the plumber and call your sister in Switzerland. It helps you face the week with confidence.

Also try not to over-schedule, If possible avoid setting urgent deadlines on this day. Try to spread your workload throughout the week.

Rest

Rest your mind, Rest your body and do not stay up late on Sunday. It will help against physical or mental exhaustion and make Mondays easier on your mind and body.

Wake up early on Monday morning, have a light breakfast, you shouldn’t work on empty stomach. Leave home early enough to get to work on time. Getting to work late will cause you extra stress.

Like it!

Find at least one reason to love your job while you are still at it. It could be the knowledge you get, the boss that mentors you, the relevance to your career path, your bills that get paid or the mere fact that it takes you out of the house. For as long as you are still on the job, find a reason to like it and be thankful for it, you will then dread it less on a Monday morning.

Source: Femme Lounge Library