Data Supplies Blog

Is It Inefficient For You To Do Your Own Admin?

When you run your own business, we know that there are so many things to worry about. Marketing, admin, communications, finances, legalities... and that's before you've even considered doing what it is that your business actually does. 

Often, business owners spend a great amount of time doing these more administrative tasks - meaning that they have significantly less time left to do whatever it is that they do best. Whether you're an illustrator, a photographer, a recruiter or a consultant - your main skills miss out in favour of the time you have to spend on your admin.

There is a problem with this. Spending time doing things other than your specialist skill can be incredibly inefficient. Why? Because the hours you spend sifitng through emails, or making appointments, or answering the phone are hours when you can't earn money for doing what you do. 

Ask yourself how much your hourly rate is. Then, ask yourself how many hours per month you spend doing administrative tasks and work out how much money you could make from doing your specialist skill during that time. Once you've come up with this figure, you'll likely find that it is significantly larger than the cost to employ a virtual assistant like us to do the administrative work. 

Using a VA to do your administrative work frees up more time for you to do what you best, and make money from it.

Saving Time With Digital Dictation Machines

We recently shared an article on Twitter and Facebook about a GP practice who were able to cut the amount it took them to submit a letter after a patient consultation by 50%. How? Quite simply by switching from an analogue dictation system to a digital dictation system.

It may seem surprising in a world dominated by tablet PCs and smartphones, but analogue dictation machines are still in wide use in many sectors across the UK. We still supply analogue dictation machines and accessories on dictationsupplies.com. However, we always recommend digital machines as they are much more time efficient and a greater aid to productivity.

There are many features of digital dictation machines that make them more time efficient than their analogue counterparts. Below we've shared a few of those reasons.

• No Tapes: One of the main pro points of digital machines is that there are no tapes involved. If there are no tapes, you don't need to waste time replacing and filing tapes. Your dictations will be saved in digital format on your computer, which means that it is much easier to locate files when you need them.
• Instant Transfer of Recordings: Digital machines automatically save your dictation recordings into email-friendly file types. This means you can plug your machine directly into your computer and email the file to whoever it is who will be transcribing the recording. This is especially helpful when using an outsourced transcription service, as it saves the time, money and headaches that come with posting out recordings on analogue tapes.
• Compatibility with Smartphones: Many dictation software producers are now adding compatibility to smartphones such as Blackberries and iPhones. This means that recordings can be easily transferred from your phone to your computer to your dictation machine with ease.
• Dictate on the Go: The nature of digital dictation machines mean that they are much more portable than their analogue counterparts. This means that they're easier to carry round in your briefcase or handbag, and don't require any complicated set up when you need to dictate a message. Dictating on the go helps you to make use of time that would have been wasted otherwise.

 

Why do Companies Use Virtual Assistants?

Almost three years ago we started virtual assistant and telephone answering service Your Reception Desk. The decision to start this company actually came from our own experiences using companies that provided these services. We found it difficult to find a company that was providing a service good enough to suit our high customer service standards. We decided to create our own.

Because we used VA services for many years before we started Your Reception Desk - we understand the reasons companies choose to use VAs more than most. We wanted to share some of these reasons with you. 

Because they want to spend their time doing what they do best.

Whether you're a web developer or a hairdresser - you do what you do because you're good at it and because you're passionate about it. What you're probably not passionate about (and maybe not good at) is your admin. A VA frees up more time for business people to do what they're good at by taking care of what they're not.

Because they want to present a more professional image.

Using VA services can help smaller and/or newer companies to look more professional to potential clients. Using a virtual mailing address or a diary management service can help businesses to bid for bigger clients and present a professional image at all times.

Because they want to cut down on outgoings.

Employing full time staff is a huge expense. Many companies can't afford to take extra staff on - but do need extra support. Virtual assistants provide the perfect solution to this problem;  they offer all the benefits of an extra assistant - without the disadvantages of traditional employment.

Because they're short on time.

This is one of the obvious reasons a company might choose to use a VA. Companies or business people who are in and out of meetings all day often don't have the time to answer phones or manage their emails. A VA service can really take the pressure off.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Asking For Testimonials and Feedback

Whether your business deals mainly with B2B clients or consumers, collecting testimonials is an extremely valuable exercise. We find that testimonials motivate us and our staff to continue to work hard to provide a high level of customer service - and displayed on our website they also encourage new customers to use our services.

Sometimes, happy customers will provide you with testimonials or thank you emails without you having to ask. This is always a great boost to your day - and it's wonderful to know that your service has made such an impact on that customer. It is also important to actively request testimonials and feedback. Partly to gather positive testimonials to go on your website (and boost your morale), and partly so that you can be completely aware of the service your customers are receiving. If something is wrong - wouldn't you like to know about it?

When you ask a customer for a testimonial/feedback, it gives them a great opportunity to tell you what they really think. It may happen that they were satisfied enough with your service not to complain, but they were still a bit disappointed. Giving them the opportunity to tell you this means that you are able to put things right and improve your service for future customers.

Great ways to do this can be to send a feedback email after each transaction, or to request 'recommendations' personally on LinkedIn. 

How does your business ask for testimonials and feedback? You can see some of the testimonials we've received, along with an example of a questionnaire we sometimes send to customers on our testimonials page.

Do You Need a Foot Pedal?

Does your job involve typing up information direct from an audio or video file? Whether you're typing up reports and correspondance in a professional environment, or whether you're transcribing interview for an academic project - you need a foot pedal.

A foot pedal connects to your computer via USB and sits under your desk. It features the functionality to play, pause, fast-forward and rewind video or audio files - leaving your hands free to type. Using a foot pedal means that you don't have to switch between windows each time you want to stop playback. This saves time and makes the transcription process easier to manage. 

We supply transcription foot pedals for as little at £49.99 (ex VAT). There are a number of considerations to take into account when you are choosing a transcription pedal though. You'll need to know what dictation software you're currently using, how much you'll be using the pedal and what kind of files you'll be transcribing. These questions are crucial to take into consideration to make sure you get the right foot pedal for you.

We know that this decision can be a complicated one. That's why we're always on hand to offer advice. Get in touch with us, making sure you know the above information, and we'll be able to recommend the right pedal to suit you. Find all our details here, including an online enquiry form.

Using a VA to Manage Job Vacancies

Our virtual assistant services are available to use in a variety of different ways. We can help on an occasional basis, on a daily basis, or even just when you have an emergency. We can also put a service together to assist you during particularly busy or trying times. An example of this is during recruitment periods. 

Ever advertised a job vacancy and then spent the next week on the phone constantly? Call volumes can be so high during the period that your comapny is recruiting that it can make it very difficult to actually get any work done! But don't worry - we're able to help.

What about if we were able to provide you with a dedicated phone number that you could use in any job adverts you placed, either in print or online. We would manage all the calls that came in on that line - taking all the relevant details from each candidate as they called. We would also be able to answer the questions and queries that candidates had - taking the pressure off you entirely.

On the closing date (of before if it suited you), we could provide you with a list of all the candidates and their relevant details. This would mean that you would be able to shortlist and interview candidates as you normally would - but that you wouldn't have had to sacrifice your own working productivity to get to that point.

If you would like to speak to us about this or any of the other ways our VA services could help you - please contact us. 

More Than Sales; Our Dictation Support Services

This year will mark thirty years since we first started in business. Over the years, though many things about our business has changed, our dedication to providing service beyond the standard has not.

We are recognised as experts in the dictation and voice processing industry, and we work hard to share this expertise whenever possible. We don't just sell dictation machines, we also like to ensure that each customer is purchasing the correct machine for their needs, and that they're going to get the best from it. We also want to be there to offer support if something goes wrong. 

Because of this, we have developed a number of extra services that help to enrich the experience of buying and using a dictation machine and related accessories. 

Help Choosing From the very beginning, we want to make sure you are looking at the right machines. Whether you're competely new to dictation or whether you are looking to upgrade, we want to help. Either contact us directly or fill in the questionnaire on our site and we will advise you with no obligation. This service is, of course, free of charge. 

Training and Installation We are available to travel throughout the UK to install dictation machines and systems. We are able to network systems and to set up automated file transfers and other features that will make your use of your system easier and more efficient. This is ideal for those companies who don't have the time or expertise to set up such features themselves. We are also able to offer training on dictation machines either locally or online. Please contact us to discuss either of these services. 

Support We maintain a free online 'knowledge base' for common dictation machine issues. Here users can browse previously answered question or submit their own ticket for a response. Browse the knowledge base here. 

Repairs and Servicing We have an in-house serviving and repairs centre for dictation machines. We can help on an incident-by-incident basis or on an annual support contract. Prices for this start at just £29, and we're able to offer you support even if you didn't buy the machine from us in the first place. We offer free estimates with no obligation. Find more information here. 

A 'Virtual' New Look For Your Business in 2012

Do you want to give your company a new look for 2012? Moving into a new office is the obvious answer to this - but you might find that this isn't a realistic option finance-wise. There is another option to improve the outward image of your business while still retaining the convenience and low overheads of working from home or a shared office. Why not use virtual services?

We offer three services that are particularly useful in this sense; our telephone answering services (either our no-frills Pay As You Go option or our comprehensive Personal Assistant service), our virtual mailing address service and our board room which can be rented by the hour.

Telephone answering a service like the one we provide at Your Reception Desk is like having a receptionist or personal assistant... but we're there only when you need us and we don't require desk space! We're available to answer your phones in a professional and friendly manner - and can also take messages, patch calls through to you, take orders and make appointments. Whether you need us to cover your phones on an occasional or emergency basis - or whether you want to use us every day - it's up to you.

Virtual mailing address do you worry that your clients and potential clients will look your address up on Google maps and not like what they find? We have a solution. We can provide virtual mailing addresses at a selection of professional and desirable locations. This means that you will be able to use these official mailing addresses on your business stationary such as business cards, websites and invoices. You can also receive correspondence at these addresses, which we will send on to you straight away.

Meeting room hire if you require a professional space to meet with clients and colleagues - we can help. We can provide a boardroom in Cumbernauld that can be hired by the hour. With our partners we are also able to offer space in Edinburgh city centre. This is ideal if you want the convenience and facilities of a boardroom available when you want it - but not the upkeep and expense of a permanent office.

If you'd like to speak to us about these three services, or any of the other services we offer, why not give us a ring to have a chat? Alternatively, visit yourreceptiondesk.co.uk for more information.

Planning for The New Year

Welcome to 2012. Here at Data Supplies and Your Reception Desk we hope you've had a restful holiday and saw in the new year well.

For many people, this time of year is the time for making resolutions. Whether it's to get fit or to save money, millions of people are resolving to be a little bit better personally in 2012. We think that businesses should be doing the same thing. This is the perfect time for business owners to look back at 2011 and the successes and problems that came with it. Doing this is vital when it comes to making plans for the new year. Which direction will you be pushing your business in? How will you seek to grow and increase sales? How will you overcome last year's problems?

A lot of success in business is down to good planning. The first few weeks in January can often be a quiet time; meaning that it's perfect for taking quiet time out to do this planning. We recommend taking out your business plan and reworking it so it can act as a guide for you in the coming twelve months. Be honest and realistic about what you want to achieve and why you haven't yet been able to do it. Think carefully about the services and people you could seek out that might be able to help you. 

How will you be planning for 2012?

 

Seasons Greetings from Data Supplies and Your Reception Desk

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful holiday season from all at Data Supplies and Your Reception Desk. If you'll be working hard, we hope it's a busy few weeks for you. If you're taking a well-deserved break, we wish you a restful one.

Data Supplies and Your Reception Desk will be operating on a reduced basis over the coming week. We'll be business as usual until 5pm on Friday 23rd December when we'll be signing of Twitter, Facebook and this blog until Monday 2nd January. We will be in the office at some points during this time to provide support to those clients that need it. 

Any orders that are placed for dictation machines, transcription equipment or rubber stamps during this time will be processed and dispatched in the new year.

Once again, our very best wishes for the holiday season and we look forward to communicating with you again in 2012.