Diploma plaudits

As the professional body for PAs, APA is rightly proud of its professional training and qualifications but there is no higher praise than that received from members and attendees. Here are just two recent examples:

“Module 1 of the APA Diploma in Personal Assistance was a real breath of fresh air. It was less about ‘box ticking’ and very much more about analysing the breadth and importance of the role of a modern PA, combined with understanding own team dynamics in order to work smarter and more strategically. This one day course crystallised what I’ve been after from a personal development programme and, just as importantly, it gave me the opportunity to exchange best practice with similarly experienced and dynamic PAs”.

Emma Kernan-Staines MAPA, PA to Sir Trevor Brooking CBE, Director of Football Development, The FA Group.

"The APA Diploma in Personal Assistance course was fantastic! It was great to find a tailored programme giving tools and tips for those PAs who are passionate about making the most of their career. It was wonderful to meet so many others on the course who, like me, were keen to extend their role far beyond the traditional definition of 'PA', and add real value to companies at the highest level. I would thoroughly recommend this course, both for the wide ranging content and the great networking opportunities that it provides."

Laura Richardson, PA to the Chairman, Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, ELEXON Limited.

For more details about the APA range of professional PA courses visit the website and select APA Training or contact training@paprofessional.com

Gareth

Digby's tips for business

Lord Digby Jones (of Birmingham), former Business Minister, Director General of the CBI and all-round champion for British business has set out his ‘Five tips to succeed as the country moves out of recession’.

His plan suggests: 1) Whatever you do … don’t overtrade, 2) Keep investing in people, 3) Do not bank your customers – don’t let debtor days extend, 4) Do not rush to take on more people, 5) Get advice, it does wonders for your competitiveness.

APA members can read the full piece in the Members Area of the website.

I believe Digby has been one of the strongest and soundest voices for business for many years and his advice is, as always, relevant, logical and worthy of note. If I was to add one note of my own, I would temper the thought about not rushing out to staff up post-recession by staying - but don’t forget there will be some great people out there looking for jobs and if you don’t get them ... your competitors will.”

Gareth

APA urges Government to commit to small firm support

“Support for small businesses must not be sacrificed if and when the government embarks on spending cuts” says Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA, echoing proposals made by the Forum for Private Business (FPB).

With net borrowing set to reach £185 billion by the end of 2009, APA recognises that substantial cutbacks are needed to plug the gap in public finances. In view of this, it has written to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills encouraging "responsible growth" ahead of the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report, which is expected to take place in November.

APA is calling for improvements to existing support schemes, reductions in small firms' corporation tax bills, incentives for micro-businesses recruiting staff and a comprehensive regulatory review.

Gareth said, “Despite recent suggestions that the economy is starting to improve, it is clear there is still a difficult road ahead. Government cuts should not include those programmes that are making a real difference for struggling firms. The next 18 months are crucial. As the main drivers of growth, small businesses; which employ more than 50% of the UK workforce, need to be placed at the heart of plans for economic recovery so they can make the most of future opportunities."

Last week, the Office for National Statistics confirmed that the UK remains in recession for the sixth consecutive quarter.

APA

Lunch with Bite

Working Lunch, BBC Two's award-winning daily business, personal finance and consumer news programme, gets the thumbs up from APA as a valuable source of current information for PAs.

APA DG, Gareth Osborne, admits “I may be a late adopter of this daily update on all matters influencing business but I am now an addict. I tend to watch it on BBC I Player and catch up on missed shows at weekends but I rate the show highly and particularly like the presentational style.”

The programme has been on air since September 1994 and bills itself as providing "Business news you can use" and boasts presenting it with a sense of humour and sharp insight - accompanied by the funniest graphics on BBC Two (according to them). Presenters Declan Curry and Naga Munchetty manage a fine balance between in-depth interview and informative banter and demonstrate a good grasp of commercial issues.

And their Biogs may give an insight into why they have such a good understanding of business; or more correctly that old northern assertion of ’where there’s muck, there’s brass’, as Naga plays jazz trumpet (and classical piano) and Declan plays the trombone – together they make a perfect team to track down those ‘on the fiddle’.

Members thoughts would be appreciated.

APA

On the other side of the road

To those who know me, it will comes as no surprise that I love America. Having just returned I thought I would share some of those things I think work or amuse me most.

Anyone who drives in the US must love the law that lets you turn right on a right light; it would be left in our case. I think this is inspired and really enables traffic to flow, especially at busy times. I love the current deal from Chevrolet that offers you a 60-day no-quibble, money-back guarantee on all of its cars and any country that can insist that if you want to advertise pharmaceuticals, then you have to include all the side effects; now that makes for amusing television.

I like David Beckham; yes, that well known Californian, who came 7th in the list of people Americans' most admire (and highest of all the sportspeople on the list), after Brad Pitt (1st), Bill Gates, Barrack Obama, Donald Trump, Hugh Hefner and George Clooney (6th). Don’t let anybody tell you the Beckhams are not going down a storm in the US.

And the public address announcement heard while shopping in a high-end department store that said “Ladies, why not visit our shoe department today and take advantage of our 10-day money-back guarantee, if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase.” Now that’s marketing!

Gareth

Royal Ravings

I have to agree with those who say the Royal Family would be well advised to stay away from business; despite them becoming increasing savvy in their own commercial ventures.

I was appalled to learn, as I returned to the UK, that Prince Andrew is defending burgeoning bonuses in the Banking Sector. Talk about being out of touch with the real world! Has the recession completely passed him by? And this, in the same week that President Obama announced that the US will impose severe restrictions on salaries paid to senior executives of organisations it was forced to rescue during the financial crisis; suggesting some could see salaries cut by up to 90%.

The Prince is reported to have suggested that we should not demonise the banking profession and describing bonuses as ‘minute’ in the grand scheme of things. I was previously of the opinion that they had done a pretty good job of demonising themselves by demonstrating the very worst of unprofessional traits, that of institutional greed overtaking professional ethics.

I recognise and acknowledge that not all employees of the UK Banking and Financial sector have access to such lucrative remuneration packages; especially our PAs employed within it, but I do feel that those responsible for strategic policy relating to salaries and benefits have some way to go before they have completed their ‘community service’ and are released to return to near normal life. If Prince Andrew disagrees I suggest he should meet some of the small businesses currently suffering at the hands of the banking nightmare or those trapped with negative equity in a terminally sick property market. Or is he himself insulated from reality in a recession proof job?

Members’ thoughts would be welcomed.

Gareth.

Cutting ''Red Tape

The Association of Personal Assistants (APA) has added its voice to calls for a limit to business regulation, which is said to be damaging the prospects of small firms across the UK.

Gareth Osborne, director-general of APA, said red tape is affecting British firms, meaning action is needed now to safeguard productivity as the recession shows signs of recovery. He echoed claims made by other bodies that regulations have cost businesses £76 billion since 1998 and it is the responsibility of politicians to set them free.

Gareth said: "Given the current economic climate and the need to let business create jobs, there should be a moratorium on new employment laws."

His comments came after shadow chancellor George Osborne told the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester that no new business regulations would be introduced without a compensatory cut elsewhere should the Tories come to power at the next general election.

Meanwhile, Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry and David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, also welcomed the shadow chancellor’s proposal.

Gareth, APA.

Recruiting? Consult the Oracle!

There is no doubt the current economic conditions have changed the views and opinions of business towards all functional processes, and recruiting strategy is high up most organisation’s agenda.

The days of placing an ad in the local regional or even national newspaper or trade journal are numbered, with job boards becoming the staple diet of job seekers, recruitment agencies and more commonly corporate business. Many businesses are also looking at the cost of using recruitment agencies and again contemplating bringing as much recruitment as they can in-house.

Even using job boards is becoming ‘so last week’ given the prolific and explosive entry of business and social media platforms (digital media) such as LinkedIn and Facebook, which are now seen as key resourcing channels for recruiters and progressive corporate’s.

So where do you start and how many of you are saying, hang on we haven’t even looked at job board advertising yet, let alone digital media? Well a good place is APA. As well as Technology Director for the APA, I am a specialist in modern day recruiting practice so if you want some quick advice or even a comprehensive day’s consultancy, you know where to find me - colin.minto@paprofessional.com.

Colin, APA

Increase to Minimum Wage

The Government announced this week (1st October) that the adult minimum wage rate has been increased from £5.73 to £5.80 an hour, the youth rate for those aged 18 to 21 has increased from £4.77 to £4.83 and the rate for workers aged 16-17 years would increase from £3.53 to £3.57.

It has also been announced that the main national minimum wage rate will be extended to apply to 21 year olds from October 2010. The main rate currently applies to workers aged 22 and over.

Commenting on the rise, Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA said ““The Government is working to maintain a minimum wage inline with economic needs. It is also tightening up enforcement of the minimum wage with new measures, including:

• A fairer way of dealing with national minimum wage arrears, calculated to ensure that employees do not lose out as a result of underpayment.
• Tougher penalties for employers who break the law, increasing the maximum penalty for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage from £5,000 to an unlimited fine.
• Serious cases of non-compliance will in future be tried in a Crown Court.

The Government also suggested that it would draw up plans based on the LPC recommendation that employers who show ‘willful disregard for minimum wage laws’ should be named and shamed."

Gareth, APA.

The PA Elite

A number of senior PAs gathered in London this week to commence work towards the award of their APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA); currently the professions highest qualification and award.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of the Association of Personal Assistants, who led the group himself, said, “We have seen a particularly impressive group of PAs register for training this year and their thirst for knowledge, combined with a passion to provide outstanding support to their Bosses, is inspirational. At this level we are dealing with highly talented and professional individuals, managers in their own right, who need to be challenged and their skills deployed for maximum effectiveness. A Diploma level PA is definitely not an administrator; s/he is a major player in the achievement of corporate strategic goals and the ‘power beside the throne’. Businesses that have realised the true potential of a world class PA are empowering them to do more at a managerial level to support and represent their Boss.”

Many of this cadre of PAs will complete the work-based exercises, training days and test in time to celebrate the New Year with DipPA after their name.

Gareth, APA.

Goede Trillingen

I needed to translate something the other day for communication with an international Member and looked around the Net. A site I had used before did the job but I was a little suspicious about its result; definitely didn’t look right according to my ‘O’ Level in French, so I tried a couple of other sites to check it out.

I eventually found ‘Babelfish’ and the result looked immediately better. I have since used it for other phrases (and even stretched to the odd paragraph) and I am mighty impressed.

Has anybody else tried similar programmes and do they have any general recommendations for the Membership.

Danke und Auf Wiedersehen,

Shelley, APA

Try it for yourself at: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Beware the First of October

2009 will see October starting just as scarily as it usually finishes.

In addition to 1st October being the 274th day of the year and Older People’s Day (I say nothing!), this year will see the implementation of a raft of new amendments to the Companies Act; the primary legislation governing how we operate all types of business in the UK.

For further details, follow the link:
http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/companiesAct/implementations/oct2009.shtml

There will also be the following changes affecting business:

Criminal Records Bureau administration fees go up.
New national minimum wage (NMW) rates come into force.
You will no longer be able to include in a worker's national minimum wage (NMW) pay service and cover charges, tips and gratuities that you pay them via the payroll.
The limit on a week's pay for the purposes of calculating a statutory redundancy payment will rise from £350 to £380.

Please make sure you are up-to-date on all amendments that will impact on your business. APA Members will have already received detailed notification in the September e-newsletter.

Gareth, APA

Working Mums want greater flexibility

Mobile working is an important factor for mothers, according to new research.

A poll from Workingmums.co.uk, a jobs website dedicated to working mothers, found that 79 per cent of respondents said they need jobs with some degree of flexibility. Over half of those mothers surveyed said they wanted some form of home working from their employer, while 85 per cent claimed that offering home working for full time jobs made for a "family friendly employer".

Gillian Nissim, founder of Workingmums.co.uk, said the results show that "flexible working is top of the working mums' agenda and will not go away. It is the key issue that employers must grapple with if they want to retain the kind of skills offered by working mums," she added.

"The recession has not reduced the urgency of this issue for working parents and employers who want to be prepared for the eventual upturn in the economy would do well to listen to their voices rather than risk losing them to more forward-thinking rivals."

APA passionately supports the call for greater flexibility in employment regimes; especially for PAs. In it own recent survey of Business Leaders it is claimed that few PAs currently have access to home working time, despite the realisation that much of what needs to be done could be achieved better and faster without the distractions of a modern office. APA backs a call for ‘clear-thinking time’; a period when people can get away from the immediacy of emails, phone calls and the office chit-chat to do some serious workload planning and catch up.

Gareth, APA

Strictly Business

Going head to head with a close competitor is not always the best strategy and even the mighty sometimes have to compromise. APA spotted this perfect example in this week’s press:

Simon Cowell has said he hopes to persuade ITV to move The X Factor so the Saturday night clash with the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show does not continue. Cowell said it was "crazy" that the two popular shows were pitched against each other. Writing in the Sun newspaper, he said it was unfair to force TV licence fee payers to choose which one to watch.

The two shows have occasionally had up to half an hour's overlap, although during the last series ‘Strictly’ usually finished before its ITV1 rival began. ITV was said to be "disappointed" at the BBC's "aggressively competitive scheduling," although the BBC said the later time slot was down to a new series of Merlin.

Cowell, a friend of ‘Strictly’ judge Bruno Tonioli, said putting them on at different times would benefit both channels, in the same way that EastEnders was not screened at the same time as Coronation Street. He was surprised that the BBC, which does not need to attract advertising, had prompted the clash and said licence-payers wanted quality TV not a ratings war. "I'll try to persuade ITV to move it (The X Factor) back or forward, whatever they need to do," he said. "I'm prepared to do everything to give the public what they want."

APA

Content harvested from the Pres Association

New delivery - Sue joins APA

As part of its campaign for growth and in response to regional demand, APA has today announced the appointment of another star to its team of Regional Membership Executives.

Sue Ing-Simmons is an experienced, PA, administrator and marketeer and joins APA to focus on West London, the western Home Counties and Oxfordshire (the M4 and M40 corridor) to help attract new members and promote services across this vibrant region.

Sue said, “This is an outstanding opportunity and the chance to promote APA and help elevate the status of PAs in business, the public and voluntary sectors and academia is a real passion of mine. I feel the role of the PA is often misunderstood and their incredible talents are undervalued; not by their boss but often by people around them.”

APA DG, Gareth Osborne said, “Sue is a wonderful addition to the team. She is a practising PA; working in support of an Independent Midwife, and is concurrently studying for a degree in interior design; so she certainly knows how to multitask and genuinely empathises with our membership. I know she is going to do a great job and work well with Members."

Gareth, APA

No Handshakes!

ACTE urges temporary behavioural change to reduce potential H1N1 Influenza impact on meetings and business travel

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has today recommended the temporary suspension of the age old traditional greetings in western civilization - the handshake - until the H1N1 influenza virus threat has been reduced to the status of the common cold. According to a statement issued by ACTE Executive Director Susan Gurley, temporarily eliminating ‘the handshake’ from business travel may go a long way in reducing the person-to-person contact that spreads this variety of influenza.

“We are being advised that the best way to catch errant coughs and sneezes is to use a handkerchief or our sleeves, rather than by the normal reactive method of raising a hand to our mouth or nose” said Gurley, “The best solution to impede the spread of the H1N1 flu virus is to repeatedly wash our hands, especially after touching our faces, or coming into contact with someone else’s face or hand.”

A random survey of ACTE members revealed it would be easier to drop the traditional handshake, for the duration of the health crisis - should one develop - rather than try to outlaw the learned behaviour of cupping the face.

We all hope the escalation of H1N1 fails to happen but if it does, lets all keep our hands firmly in our pockets.

Gareth, APA.

Food for thought

I've been telling Managers this joke all week, I think they are getting the message:

As part of its diversity policy a major employer recently hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now", said the HR manager during the welcoming briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees". The cannibals promised they would not.

Some weeks later their boss called them together, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with your progress. However, my PA has gone missing. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads sheepishly muttering "No".

After the boss had left, the most senior of the cannibals said to the others, "OK, which one of you idiots ate the PA?"

A hand rose hesitantly, to which the exasperated leader continued, "You fool! For a month we've been eating Managers and Supervisors and no one noticed a thing, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important!!!!

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

APA backs Office*

APA has today announced its support for a major new show for PAs and office professionals.

Diversified Business Communications UK announced that they are launching the new event, Office*, after extensive consultation with leading players in the industry, including associations, exhibitors and leading training providers. An advisory panel concluded that there was a big gap for an event like this.

Carsten Holm, MD of DBC UK, was delighted with the response. "We already have a strong reputation as quality event organisers in this sector from our work with the National Executive PA conference. All of the companies we have spoken to have welcomed this important launch and we look forward to working with everyone to create a fantastic event which meets the full range of needs of PAs, Executive Assistants and office administrators.

Office* will take place at Earls Court in 21-22 September 2010.

APA Director General, Gareth Osborne, said, “APA gave much thought to whether we should be backing another ‘national event’ in the current financial climate but in Diversified saw an event organiser with a true ambition to deliver something different and more professional (than other events that have gone before them). I believe they share our desire to have PAs recognised as the influential business managers they really are. Office* could make a real difference."

APA

Morgane joins APA team

APA is thrilled to announce the appointment of Morgane Defort FAPA as its first Regional Membership Executive for the South East of England. The new role will see Morgane interacting with PAs across her area (SE London, Kent and Sussex) to facilitate their entry into membership and their participation in training, qualifications and all forms of networking.

“We are lucky to have attracted someone of Morgane’s calibre and she has already passionately demonstrated her desire to play a part in the enhancement of the PA profession. Her appointment is part of our UK-wide campaign to increase awareness of APA and grow membership to levels similar to those of the major professional bodies; like the Institute of Directors,” said Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA. “She is a great addition to the team and the wealth of her experience as a PA combined with a particularly friendly manner will make her popular with PAs in all walks of life.

Morgane graduated in Advertising, Marketing and PR from her University in Belgium; where she was born, and went onto fulfil high level roles in the Hotel and Leisure Industry before becoming an Ambassador’s PA at a London Embassy. She is fluent in several languages and proficient in others.

“I am sure we will also see Morgane playing a major part in the development of APA across Europe in the coming years,” concluded Gareth.

APA

Penny wise

I have to admit that this is a personal gripe but I hope there is a message in my madness.

If you have watched any TV over the weekend you can hardly have failed to see the usual round of adverts telling us that the massive Bank Holiday Sale ends on Monday; and that it is a once in a lifetime, fantastic value, never to be repeated opportunity to buy something for just £399 that was originally priced at several thousand pounds more!

How gullible do these marketers think we are? Surely they know by now that, if they really did stock the items before the sale, rather than buying them in cheap especially for the sale, we know they must have been mercilessly profiteering from us in earlier times. I bought a jacket recently for £59 and saw it two weeks later for £29 and felt very cheated.

But this weekend I’ve seen the best so far! We are use to wonderful statements like “For less than £500” – which actually means £499 but over the last couple of days a well known catalogue store has advertised a fridge freezer “For less than £256” - when the price was £255.99. I just found that an irritatingly ridiculous statement. Why not round it up guys and say “For just £256” – it uses one word less and is far less cynical. Can APA start a campaign to outlaw the Devious Penny?

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

Standing room only

The UK population grew by 408,000 in 2008 (and they can’t all be PAs) - the biggest increase for almost 50 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. The total number of people passed 61m for the first time, with changes in birth and death rates now a bigger cause of growth than immigration. The UK population grew more in 2008 than at any time since 1962, when it rose by 484,000.

Latest ONS figures also show:

• There are now a record 1.3 million people aged over 85, making up 2% of the total
• There were 791,000 babies born in 2008, an increase of 33,000 on 2007
• Half of that increase were to women born overseas, but living in the UK
• The population is now growing by 0.7% a year,
• More than double the rate in the 1990s and three times the level of the 1980s.

Gareth

Cutting comments

Despite the ongoing recession, small businesses should avoid the temptation to cut prices in an attempt to compete with their rivals, it has been suggested.

Matthew Perkins, an advisor at the government's Business Link service, said the cost of products and services offered should not be reduced without serious consideration. He added that while discount and special consumer offers may be the only option for some firms, this should generally be treated as a last resort since profit margins are automatically slashed.

He stated: "As a general rule what we say is to try and differentiate your service and give added value, so you can keep the prices up. Rather than cutting prices, maybe try and offer an extra service to the end client, rather than just cutting the cost of the standard service."

Some 32 per cent of business and professional service providers interviewed for the latest Confederation of British Industry report said they had cut their prices, while 23 per cent of firms offering consumer services said they had been forced into making reductions.

I think the fact that 68% of businesses haven't had to cut prices is far more telling and should be the trend for us all to follow. APA's message is, "Cut costs only after you have tried every other option."

Gareth

Electric time for APA

August has been a highly charged month for APA with more PAs joining in one week than ever before. This comes as a result of the major email campaigns by Totaljobs and reed.co.uk who jointly sent messages to over 300,000 of their registered users, promoting APA membership as an essential element for career progression and job hunting.

Colin Minto, APA Technology Director and brain-child of the initiative said, “This campaign has exceeded our wildest dreams and put the name and objectives of the Association firmly in the minds of PAs across the UK. This is an ongoing relationship and we will see many more joint activities rolling out over the autumn months. We have an ambition to exceed 100,000 members and become part of the elite of professional bodies by 2011 and recent marketing drives have certainly set us on that journey.”

The results of the APA Annual Business Leaders Survey 2009 are expected within the next two weeks and we believe there will be some dramatic results; again proving how important the role of PA is and continues to develop. Watch this space.

APA

A-level playing field

With reports claiming that one in five teenagers could be receiving unemployment benefits by the time they are 21, school-leavers who will be looking for work following their results need to give themselves the best possible chance of entering the jobs market.

REC (the professional body for the UK staffing industry) has outlined some key pieces of practical advice for school-leavers to help them get into the jobs market which include being flexible, building up their CV with personal and work-related achievements and being prepared to ‘hustle’ to get opportunities in this competitive environment.

For those entering higher education, it is equally crucial to keep an eye on future job prospects by complementing their academic studies with work-related experiences over the next few years.

Commenting on the overall outlook for school-leavers on the back of this week’s A Level results, Kevin Green, REC CEO said: “School -leavers are entering the jobs market at one of the bleakest times that we have seen in many years. However, the feedback from professional recruiters is that there are still opportunities for those seeking to get a foot on the career ladder.

"Temporary work and internships can provide the first step into the world of work and help to build up the practical skills that can make a real difference in an extremely competitive jobs market. School leavers choosing to go on to higher education should supplement their studies with practical work experience in order to be in as strong a position as possible when it comes to kick-starting their professional lives. For those planning to jump straight into the jobs market, flexibility and persistence will be vital. A carefully thought through and typo-free CV is a good start and young job-seekers will need to demonstrate the life skills and attitudes that employers are looking for.

More detailed information on the REC’s eight-point plan for new job seekers can be found at:
http://www.rec.uk.com/press/news/751

Gareth

reed.co.uk endorses APA

reed.co.uk has become the latest major business to support APA and join the call for PAs to recognise the real value of membership and join their professional body.

In an email to its subscribers reed.co.uk has today announced its partnership with The Association of Personal Assistants (APA), and suggests that membership will definitely give PAs the edge when job hunting or looking for promotion.

reed.co.uk has a particular interest in all organisations that offer professional qualifications and has featured APA’s three core programmes; PA Apprentice, PA Professional (CertPA) and the Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA), for special note. These courses will now be featured on an ongoing basis within its online Learning Centre.

APA Director General, Dr. Gareth Osborne, said, “APA is thrilled by the endorsement from reed.co.uk, they are an acclaimed market leading business and play an essential role in the UK labour market. Only with support from respected businesses like reed.co.uk will the role of the PA become fully recognised as the profession we (and they) believe it is and deserves to be.”

APA

Useful Tips - Maybe?

What to do if your iPod has frozen -

If your iPod won't turn on or respond, reset it. It's like taking the batteries out - but you won't lose any of your media files. Make sure it's plugged into the mains or to your computer then switch the hold button on and off.
Then hold down both the Menu and Select buttons for about five seconds until you see the Apple logo appear. Your iPod has been reset and should work perfectly.

What to do if your non-waterproof gadget gets wet -

First, try drying it out with a vacuum cleaner. Or, put it in an airtight container with packets of silica gel to absorb the moisture. If silica gel isn't readily to hand, fill a pot or bowl with regular uncooked rice and bury your damp gadget inside. The uncooked rice should absorb all the water and, after a few hours, you should be able to use the gadget normally.

What to do if you lock your car blipper in the car -

If the spare keys are at home, call someone there on their mobile from your mobile. Hold your mobile about a foot from the car door and have the person at home hold the spare blipper to their mobile and press the unlock button. The sonic message should transmit through your phone and unlock your car so you can retrieve the keys.

Remote unlocking: If your blipper is stuck in the car, don't panic! A friend can unlock it with a spare - over a mobile phone

What to do if your PC runs really slowly -

If your hard drive takes ages to load or access data, it may be failing. Open My Computer, right click the hard disk you want to check, select properties then click the Tools tab and there's an Error Checking option. Select the Check Now button and choose to scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

A full scan will take about an hour. If it takes much longer, or makes strange noises, back up all your info asap and make sure your backup is kept up-to-date - it could be on its last legs.

I am sure there are more tips out there, these are just a few.

Shelley, APA

Taken from an article in the Daily Mail on Friday 14th 2009.

Looking for a Speaker?

One of the more difficult tasks faced by any PA is that started by the Boss’s call to, “Find me a great guest speaker (or celebrity) for the National Conference!

Where do you start, who do you ask and most critically, what do you pay? It sounds like a fun task when you commence it but can rapidly descend in a game of hardball tennis with someone who purports to be the Speaker’s Agent and demands a massive fee and only reluctantly admits that he can’t actually get you Robbie Williams but he does have the inside track to his cousin Pete.

APA now has a data source of most of the major (and heap of minor) professional speakers and celebrities available today and this can be accessed by Members free of charge and by non-members for less than £100 – just call APA on 0800 107 1030 for more details. We will tell you the price range for each speaker and offer a selection of those who may be available to meet your needs.

So, whether you want Michael McIntyre to host your Client Awards Ceremony, James Caan to whip up your Shareholders Dinner, Claudia Winkleman to motivate your sales force or Karen Brady to kick some life into your company then APA can help make it happen.

APA

Home working set to rise

Insurance firm Aviva has predicted that one quarter of the UK working population would be carrying out employment duties from their home within a decade. The desire to improve the work-life balance will encourage a major shift towards flexible working, home lifestyle manager Julie Fromant claimed.

Home working offers a number of advantages over office-based operation says Gareth Osborne of APA. “The ability to work flexibly is a major bonus for all and APA employs home workers wherever possible to minimise our need for excessive overheads. The elimination of commuting time makes a big difference to the working day and people use these hours to work more effectively or to embrace leisure time that it is otherwise difficult to fit in. If you start at 7.00am, because you can, then why not take a couple of extra hours during the day to go for a work out or do the shopping. Reduced expenditure is the other major advantage of working from home, he said, especially the saving you can make on office and utility costs.

APA fully supports home working and believes that some of a PAs role could be executed at a distance. In a recent survey of Business Leaders APA has asked what percentage of a PAs time is currently flexible – the results will be published next month; watch this space.

APA

How to deal with Childish Adults

Ideally, everyone would behave in a calm, rational, adult manner at work. But unfortunately, some people just never grow up completely. Childish behaviour can be one of the most destructive and disruptive influences on office relationships and can reduce productivity dramatically.

If you have to deal with immature bosses, co-workers, or employees, APA can offer some suggestions on to help keep your sanity while all abot you are losing theirs.

Do you have to handle temper tantrums, gossips and storytellers, people not playing nicely and keeping hold of their ‘toys’, people who crave attention or have work-based, ‘sibling’ rivalries or sulks, cry-babies and cliques? If you do one of the lastest postings in the APA Knowledge Zone is offering you a quick guide on how to handle them for maximum effect.

If you do have difficulties please let us know, there may be something we can do to help.

APA

Praise where it's due - a new scheme from APA

APA has created a scheme to say ‘thank you’ to people it interacts with who go above and beyond what might be expected of them. If we receive an especially courteous and friendly reception when we call someone, receive a prompt response to a request or find someone who is especially keen to help, then we make it our responsibility to say ‘thank you’. If possible these thanks should be communicated to a Director or Manager so that they can bask in the reflected success and pass on our thanks in the form of a one minute praising (see below). We also tell them why they made us feel good; you made me smile, you left me feeling confident the job will be done or it was nice to be treated professionally.

It really is good to be appreciated – join us in our campaign to say ‘thanks’.

Gareth

One Minute Praising – from the ‘One Minute Manager’ by Dr. Ken Blanchard

The second secret of the ‘One Minute Manager’ is one-minute praising and this is the key to improved performance and increased productivity. Instead of catching people out for doing something wrong, the opposite is recommended: ‘The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right’. There are three steps in a one-minute praising:
1. Praise someone as close in time to the good behaviour as possible. If you can’t find some to praise everyday, then you should wonder why.
2. Be specific – Make it clear what it was that was performed well.
3. Share feelings – tell them how you feel about what they did, not what you think about what they did.

Not enough hours in the day?

Whether you’re a PA for a large or small business or a VPA offering support to customers time is always tight and there are more tasks than hours in the day. Need More Time has for the last 7 years been assisting hundreds of PAs to achieve their goals. And they now help APA as well.

Today’s world is fast becoming a gridlocked information super highway, overloaded even when you’re not at your desk. People’s demands and expectations of you continue to rise and you are judged by your willingness to cope. Often the divide between work and personal time is very thin, leaving you wondering if you’re being as effective with your time as you could be. Regardless of who you are and where you work, life isn’t just about being good at what you do but about using your time effectively and managing your daily tasks to maximise the needs of your Boss, colleagues, clients and their expectations of you. Many of us simply don’t have anyone else to delegate the work to, but quite often wished they did! Need More Time can offer a solution and provide this support on an on-demand basis; as and when you need it, by either handling your calls or managing your administration. They profess to be your extra pair of hands and are ready and available to help when you most need it.

They are doing great work for APA and I believe could be a valuable support to many of our Members. I believe in praise where it is due and Need More Time deserve it in bucket loads.

To find out more go: http://www.needmoretime.co.uk

APA

Tips galore

I never thought APA should have a monopoly on being right when it comes to providing solutions to PAs problems and was delighted when one of our Members suggested another website when offering advice on the Forum. Being nosy I had to have a look myself and liked what I saw. I believe in business you need to know your ‘competitors’ and, where possible, work with them to improve the market for everyone to trade in (Look for the PA Tip below).

I was thrilled when Marguerita King of personal-assistant-tips.com and I made contact, met to discuss common ground, immediately hit it off and have now decided to work together. She brings a host of experience to the table, having worked as a PA at the highest level across a broad commercial spectrum and within Government, and recognises, as APA does, that PAs are essential players in effective organisations.

Of her own site Marguerita says, “It is often the case that the boss will ask his PA to do a task that is outside her knowledge base, so I created my site to assist PAs looking for answers. The articles cover a broad spectrum of topics that PAs may want to investigate further, topics like internet marketing, website building and instructions for creating a press release. With over 25 years secretarial/PA experience, with the latter years spent as a graduate PA, I am well aware of the challenges PAs face in today's job market, and the issues affecting mature PAs. I hope I can bring a new dimension to the APA and its thinking.”

Marguerita will undoubtedly pop up in a number of different APA guises (sage, mentor, blogger, trainer and even guest speaker) but we all look forward to working with her.

Check out her site at: http://www.personal-assistant-tips.com/

Gareth

Important and valuable information

For three years, supply2.gov.uk has advertised thousands of public sector procurement opportunities worth up to £100,000 – making the website ideally suited to small and medium sized businesses, and making it easier to access the thousands of Government procurement opportunities that are directly relevant to them. The fee that was previously charged to search the site across the UK will now be removed, providing firms with better access to public sector contracts to help their businesses grow.

This free service is an interim step along the way to introducing a key recommendation outlined in the Glover Review - that by the end of 2010 all public sector contract opportunities should be accessible through a single, free online web portal.

By introducing a free to use national search service Government is helping to create a level playing field on which SMEs can compete with their larger counterparts. This will realise benefits for SMEs, the economy as a whole, and help drive further innovation in public services.

Supply2gov can be accessed at: http://www.supply2.gov.uk/

APA

2009 Marketing Trends

Marketing executives are going back to basics this year, putting renewed focus on satisfying and retaining customers and investing in research and insights, but they are “sick” of hearing about Web 2.0, according to a survey from Anderson Analytics conducted for the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG). The second annual survey examined the top marketing concepts, buzzwords, global areas of opportunity and targeted customer demographics for 2009, as well as the books and thought leaders that marketers look to for inspiration and growth opportunity.

The Top Five Trends:

1. Insight and Innovation are Key: Greater insight and innovation are viewed as keys drivers to combat down economic and business cycles.

2. Customers at Top of List: Basic customer satisfaction and customer retention remained the top two concepts of interest to marketers, followed by marketing ROI, brand loyalty and segmentation. Together, these represent a move back to the core principles of marketing.

3. Green Marketing and Global Warming Lose Importance: The issue of global warming showed the largest decrease in importance (dropping 14 places in the rankings), while green marketing showed a statistically significant 5% drop.

4. Marketers “Sick” of Web 2.0: Twice as many marketers are “sick” of hearing about Web 2.0 and related buzzwords such as “blogs” and “social networking” compared with last year’s survey.

5. Most Opportunity in China and among Boomers: China ranks as the #1 greatest area of opportunity (53%) for marketers with international responsibility, while India is a distant second.

I think this represents a return to marketing basics and certainly reduced budgets will necessitate a more intelligent and targeted use of resources.

Gareth

Is that hope on the horizon?

Small business owners can be confident that the end of the recession is nearing, according to a leading economist. Michael Baxter, of the research company Defaqto, said economic growth could return to the UK within a matter of months.

He was commenting after the CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index showed an upturn in the manufacturing industry, rising 50 points in July. Mr Baxter proposed that CIPS reports are usually a good indicator of the UK's economic position and as such it is "a mistake" to ignore them. He commented: "The signs are pretty clear right now that UK is going pull out of recession in the next few months and I think the CIPS report is another bit of evidence of that. Based upon this notion, he advised the Bank of England to cease its current programme of government stock purchases and allow the economy to find a level footing. "I think it would be a bit of a mistake to do more of that quantitative easing," he stated.

Earlier this week, Vicky Redwood of Capital Economics claimed the Bank could even extend its asset purchasing scheme this week, despite already committing to inject £125 billion in to the nation's finances.

I'm not convinced myself yet but the performance this week of the better managed banks has given some credence to the theory that the market recovery may continue, but it's got a long way to go before we can all breath out!

Gareth

Totaljobs triumph!

One of the best endorsements any professional body can be given is for its members to be told, by a well respect authority in the employment marketplace, that being a member increases their worth, employability and wealth.

Around 200,000 PAs were told just that last week when Totaljobs contacted its PA database on Friday and new members are already joining as a result. And there is more to follow.

Totaljobs is so impressed with APA’s efforts that it is about to start an even bigger campaign to promote their rapidly developing relationship.

Well done to Totaljobs for recognising the value of APA but more importantly thank you to Totaljobs for recognising the outstanding professional value of PAs; wherever they are employed.

APA

Major boost for Birmingham

APA has today announced the appointment of its first regional staff member Eriq Mitchell who will be assuming responsibility for PA recruitment and communication in the Birmingham and West Midlands area.

APA Director General Gareth Osborne said, “Eriq is an exceptionally talented marketing professional and recognises, from first hand experience, the essential role PAs play in modern business. Those he has worked with hold him in high esteem and his friendly and considerate manner made him an ideal candidate for this post. He will be making contact with existing Members, just to say hello, and recruiting new Members cross the area. As a local man Eriq is familiar with the business landscape and already knows many of the business leaders in the area. He will be making contact with businesses, the public and voluntary sectors and academic institutions over the coming months.”

Eriq added, “I love what APA is doing, especially in terms of its high level marketing, and am keen to play a proactive part in its growth.”

If Members and Blog readers would like to meet Eriq he can be contacted by email at: eriq.mitchell@paprofessional.com

APA

A Million Meetings

Why are the skills of organising and managing events increasingly valued and important to PAs?

• The PA role is multi disciplined one and increasingly requires multi-tasking for several managers rather than a sole Boss. Along with ‘diary management’ and ‘travel arrangement’, ‘event planning and conference co-ordination’ is now a top three daily activity for PAs.

• Approximately 75% of PAs today have some responsibility for some conference and event planning and management within their organisation.

• During the current year 84% of these PAs anticipate that they will co-ordinate more than 6 formal structured meetings, conferences or events.

• Therefore in 2009 over a million meetings, conferences and events will be managed and coordinated by PAs. This figure is rising as the competence and skill levels of PAs increases.

For this reason APA has joined forces with Function Fixers to assist Members with this task. For more details go to the Knowledge Zone in the Members' area or visit http://www.function-fixers.co.uk/

APA

Talking about the weather ...

With the Met Office making a U-turn on their "barbecue summer" prediction, it seems that August is still a largely unknown quantity for the UK. One thing for sure, we are all talking about it!

Forecasters suggest that as we head into August there continues to be indications that the weather across the country may well improve, with an increasing chance of drier and warmer conditions returning. Confidence is low on the exact developments as it always is when looking more than a few days ahead, but they recommend that we don't completely give up on this summer yet!

It reminds me that one of my favourite quotes is from Sir Winston Churchill who suggested, “Weathermen are right 46% of the time. Therefore, if you always assume the opposite you are more likely to be right than they are!”

It seems he might have been right.

Gareth

Totaljobs backs APA

Totaljobs.com, one of the UK’s largest job boards has today told its audience of PAs that membership of APA will definitely give them the edge when job hunting or looking for promotion.

In a recent survey by London Economics for CCPMO it concluded that professional qualifications and membership of a professional body adds substantially to your earning potential over your working life. For Managers, the report suggests, this can be as much as £152,000 (or equivalent to 2.5 years extra income). For PAs this could be as much as an extra £65,000 in potential earnings over their full working lifetime for those with membership and professional qualifications.

Totaljobs.com is the UK's most visited commercial recruitment website holding the Number 1 market share position since January 2006*. Typically it carries over 150,000 live vacancies at any one time; generating around 1 million online job applications from 2 million unique users that visit the website over 3.4 million times per month.

Now that IS an endorsement.

Colin

London Connections

If you work in London or visit the Capital regularly here is a chance to meet people from many different networks across London and to enjoy an evening of networking, knowledge and nibbles!

Organisers, Business Scene, promise this will be an excellent opportunity for developing contacts in the area or gaining even more exposure through their low cost exhibiting & goody bags!

Speaker Warren Cass will be sharing tips on how to make the most of networking online and social media to raise your business profile, generate more traffic and increase sales!

When: 15th September, 18:00hrs
Where: Regus, New Broad Street, London

For more details go to: http://www.business-scene.com/event_detail.php?e=10671

APA

Talking Turkey

Over the last few weeks I have become increasingly frustrated by, what I call, ‘lazy communication’ and have concluded it must be a facet of modern life. I wonder if the daily use of emails and texts has reduced us to glib gibbering.

Now, I would be the last to suggest we take a step back to flowery Dickensian language but somewhere along the way we have lost our thread. I personally think we have a responsibility to listen to what people are saying to us, consider the content and then construct a response based on our judgement, knowledge and opinion.

What is really starting to bother me is that people are responding to serious requests with ‘single word answers’ – where possible with no more than three letters. When I was taught the art of serious communication; actually radio telephony (RT), as used in aircraft, I was taught to consider ABC (Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity), while also applying Relevance and Logic.

I always remember being told that if (as a Pilot) you are asked by a paratrooper if it is safe to jump now, you must never start the sentence with ‘Yes’ if you then intend to go on to say ‘In just a minute when we are over safe ground’. If you do, then you’ll be speaking to yourself and have a stick of injured soldiers to deal with!

So next time you ask someone if they like the report you wrote and they answer ‘Yes’, don’t take it at face value and ask then if that was a qualified yes or with certain reservations! Join me and outlaw ‘Lazy Communications’.

Gareth

Chocolate Heaven - low fat, no meltdown

It could be the perfect summer chocolate. Swiss scientists say they have stumbled upon the formula for a chocolate which doesn’t melt in your hands — while also being ultra low fat.

The Zurich-based firm Barry Callebaut claims its Vulcano chocolate can withstand heat up to 55C, nearly double the temperature at which normal chocolate melts, while containing 90% fewer calories. Vulcano will be sold as an ingredient to confectionary giants such as Nestlé and Cadbury’s, meaning anti-melt and low-calorie versions of household brands such as Kit Kat and Dairy Milk could go on sale within two years. Although the firm is keeping the formula secret, experts believe its scientists may have substituted some cocoa butter — which is fatty and melts at about 30C — with starch. Previous attempts at creating melt-proof chocolates have resulted in unappealing, rock-hard bars.

“Like many great discoveries, our engineers actually stumbled upon the technique by accident,” said a spokeswoman for Barry Callebaut, the worlds largest chocolatier. She added that the texture is “more crispy than creamy”.

Sounds interesting, although I think a tasting session is mandatory before declaring it a success.

Shelley, APA
Based on an article in the Sunday Times 26th July 2009

Getting the best for your Broadband bucks

Businesses have been urged to check whether they could save money by switching to a new broadband provider.

Ed Dawson, editor of Broadband.co.uk, said that despite the recession heightening the need to reduce expenditure where possible, 50 per cent of web users have not switched provider during the last four years. Consequently, they will be paying the same rate for the service, he suggested, despite the many advances made in the industry during this time. He added: "They get stuck on a tariff, and can find they are paying twice or sometimes three times as much as they could be. They also end up with slower download speeds because they signed up to a cap four years ago. Download limits are generally more generous." He suggested that it may not even be necessary to switch to secure a better price, as simply negotiating an improved deal with the current provider may suffice.

According to a Consumer Choices report, the average cost of broadband has fallen by at least 37 per cent and the average speed has increased by at least 700 per cent over the last four years.

It's well worth asking if this has been considered in your business, it could be a considerable saving in difficult times.

Gareth

Eureka - Trade Marks Online

You can now apply to register trade marks for businesses, goods or services in the UK through businesslink.gov.uk - protecting what makes your business unique.

BusinessLink has worked with the Intellectual Property Office to make the process as smooth and simple as possible. Find out more or apply to register a trade mark today at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/trademarkapp

This is useful and definitely worth remembering when the business does something it feels needs protection.

Gareth

The economy is like our weather

Cool for the time of year with occasional heavy downpours

There was hope for some rest from the relentless round of economic gloom and doom today with the FTSE rising again, and for the last 9 days. Although pessimists shrugged it off as a market over reaction to a few passing sunbeams.

Sales in UK shops shot up 1.2% in June following as a few hot, early summer days boosted clothing purchases, official figures show. The jump was much more than the 0.3% rise expected by economists. Retail sales had fallen 0.9% in May. And Mortgage approvals by the major banks increased to a 15-month high in June, according to the British Bankers' Association (BBA). Some 35,235 mortgages were approved for house purchases in June, up from 31,919 the previous month, the BBA said. The figures reflected the banks' increased ability to lend and was 65% up on the same month a year earlier.

However the Bank of England concluded today that the UK economy contracted 0.8% between April and June, this was more than double the figure economists had expected.
While an improvement on the previous quarter, the figures may indicate that the recovery could take longer than previously had been thought.

The contraction was much less than the 2.4% seen in the first quarter but was still above analysts' 0.3% prediction. The latest figures take the annual rate of decline to 5.6%, the biggest fall since records began in 1955.

Liam Byrne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said that he was cautious but confident that growth was going to return at the end of the year. "We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, but what today's figures show is that the pace of the downturn is easing," he said.

Industry groups, including APA, called on the Bank of England to continue its actions to stimulate the economy.

Gareth

Jones the Cash

Is he starting to annoy anyone else, or is it just me? Peter Jones, the Jolly Green Giant of Dragon’s Den, is running a serious risk of taking that fatal step from credible businessman to celebrity; and worse believing his celebrity status, and going for the showbiz dollar. When he was presented with a CBE in April by the Queen at Windsor I thought it was great news for innovators and business, little did I know it stood for Celebrity with Burgeoning Ego.

In Dragon’s Den where he is unquestionably a genius he has won hero status but to go from there to singing for Children-in-Need, while worthy, was a seriously bad judgement call. But his worst decision to date has to be his foray into advertising for moneysupermarket.com where someone has conned him into losing all his dignity and riding around a set on a shopping trolley. He should have applied some of his wisdom shared with investees when assessing this one – “You haven’t thought it through, it isn’t a serious business opportunity”.

I have to admit he would make a great Darth Vader but I really wish he hadn’t had to cross to the Dark Side to get the role. In my mind the score so far is Business Credibility Nil, Celebrity Fees 1. Definitely a home goal Peter!

What does anyone else think?

Gareth
Photo by John Stillwell/WPA/Getty Images

APA Business Leaders Survey 2009

It’s that time of year again and APA is preparing to send its Annual Business Leaders survey for 2009 out to the unsuspecting masses. For the first time in its history (albeit relatively short) APA will be sending its survey to almost 500,000 (yes, half a million!) named individuals.

Blog readers are invited to take an early look at the survey and complete it if they wish; please take a steer from your Boss and ensure the responses are theirs or your interpretation of theirs. You can find the survey at the top left hand margin of the Blog Page above the APA logo.

The results will be published in September.

Gareth

The height of Diplomacy

Places are filling quickly for the next APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA) course starting on 1st September 2009. But a few remain and PAs interested in elevating their knowledge to the next level and adding the prestigious DipPA letters to their name are encouraged to register now.

In some areas of the UK Companies may be eligible for funding from Business Link or the Learning and Skills Council of up to a £1,000 towards the cost of the training.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA and one of the presenters on the course says, ”This is a challenging programme and really tests the knowledge and skills of a PA but passing it will set them amongst the professionals elite and genuinely lift their knowledge base above that of a qualified manager. The Diploma is currently the highest achievement in the profession and sets the scene for the new Foundation Degree; under development at this time and due to be launched in 2010. There is no better time for businesses to invest in training and prepare for the return to a growing economy with all the tolls and skills in place to take full advantage of it.”

PAs wanting more information about the programme can visit the Training Zone featured on the navigation bar on the APA Home Page or email shelley.young@paprofessional.com.

Shelley

Dressing Appropriately

Visible bra straps, teeny tops - this woman boss has had enough! Dress for the office girls, not a hen night!

The young woman sitting opposite me had submitted a pitch-perfect application letter and one of the best CVs I'd seen. She had been one of almost 70 applicants for a job on the magazine where I'm editor, and her application alone should have been my star candidate, but the minute she walked into my office, and before she even opened her mouth, she failed the interview.

Cleavage or bust: Women are wearing low-cut tops and revealing far too much flesh in the office, according to one female boss. She was wearing a 'spray-on' dress, cut low enough to reveal yards of cleavage and high enough to barely skim her thighs, with shoes so high she had trouble walking in them. Those clothes spoke volumes more than the carefully crafted CV and told me two essential things: this woman is not intelligent, and she does not respect me or herself.

The way we dress for work has become a minefield. We live in less formal times, where dress codes have been all but abandoned and the old 'power dressing' rules for women were killed off when we stopped wanting to behave or look like men at work. As women became more confident and more powerful in the workplace, we felt free to be more feminine and more individual. Our dress codes relaxed. But relaxed has turned into confusion and led to a workplace awash with women who look as if they've just dropped in on their way to a hen night.

The way we dress has a huge effect on the way we perceive ourselves, and on the way we're perceived. Sadly, the two don't always match up. My star candidate in the sexy dress, for example, may have looked in her mirror that morning and seen 'confident, individual, fashionable'. I saw 'bimbo, trying too hard, someone who doesn't have the sense to dress for the context in which she's going to be seen'. The more ambitious you are, or the more your job matters to you, the more seriously you should consider the messages your clothes and personal presentation are giving off. Not for the office: Hen night attire should be left at home

Peter Glick, a psychologist at Lawrence University in the U.S., has researched the way women dress for work, and found some depressing - if unsurprising - results. Sexy clothing and over-high heels, for example, are considered inappropriate for both senior and junior staff, but the senior woman will be more harshly judged for it, and seen as more threatening and untrustworthy, and less competent or intelligent - and that's by male and female colleagues alike.

Of course it shouldn't matter what we wear - we should be judged solely on what we say or do. But it does matter how we dress - that's the world we live in.

Shelley, APA

Taken from an article by Maureen Rice, Daily Mail 20 July 2009

Professional PA

Only one month remains for PAs wanting to book a place on APA’s highly successful PA Professional Course; which makes them eligible, after testing, for the award of the Certificate in Personal Assistance.

The PA Professional course is the perfect step up for an established PA (with more than 3yrs experience in the role) and will enable them to take greater responsibility and accept bigger personal challenges. Its content ideally suits those looking to refresh their skills and learn current best practice or returners to the workplace. It is also open to Business Degree graduates looking to secure a role as a PA.

Places for the two remaining programmes of 2009 (1st September and 3rd December) are filling fast but some remain. Further details can be found at http://www.paprofessional.com and select ‘Training’ from the navigation bar.

Discounts are available for APA Members.

Shelley

0870 Numbers – New legislation from 1st August

0870 numbers are used by many businesses and organisations to provide a wide range of information and advice including many customer service lines. But consumers are often charged more for calling these numbers than they would if they called a 'geographic rate' (01, 02 or 03) number. And because they cost more, businesses and organisations are also able to take a cut of the call charges - a practice known as revenue sharing. This practice has been the subject of huge concern over recent months and OFCOM has acted to curtail misuse.

Intent on re-building confidence in Non-Geographic Numbers, OFCOM have announced that inbound calls to 0870 numbers must be charged at the same or less than calls to geographic numbers (starting with 01 & 02) with effect from 1st August 2009.

From this date there will be no further revenue share paid to organisations receiving calls delivered from 0870 numbers. Conversely calls delivered from 0870 numbers will be chargeable on the recipient and some providers will charge up to 2.75 pence per minute.

It is worth checking to see if your business uses 0870 numbers in any guise and if so to ask if you have to change protocols or expectations.

Gareth

Pandemic Strategy

As the spread of the swine flu virus (officially known as influenza A H1N1) accelerates, business readiness is growing in importance. You should keep updated on what your business can do to help your employees get treatment and to prevent further spread of swine flu. You should be scheduling a meeting now for senior managers to debate what actions you can take to limit the impact on trading and create a strategy should the pandemic escalate.

Probably the best source of information at present is the Business Link site, follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/kktg5f

In the meantime you should advise your employees that they should contact their GP immediately if they think they have swine flu symptoms.

Follow NHS guidance

Businesses should follow detailed NHS guidance for employers in the workforce and this can be downloaded from the following source. It will also help inform your strategy: http://tinyurl.com/kw4mqy

Email your employees the official leaflet

The official government swine flu leaflet explains how to prevent transmission of swine flu and how to access treatment. It can be downloaded from the link below.

APA recommends that you email this leaflet to your employees and suggest that they share it with family and friends; especially anyone who may be considered to be in the ‘at risk’ groups. http://tinyurl.com/cefghl

Please stay healthy.

APA

The new Equality Bill

The Government Consultation on Specific Duties for the new Equality Bill was launched on 11 June. The Government Equalities Office (GEO) sets out its proposals for how the new single Equality Duty will be underpinned by a range of proposed specific duties. The consultation is open until 30 September.

The Equality Duty will apply to public authorities who are also classed as contracting authorities, but clearly there will be an impact on the businesses and suppliers with whom they engage. This is why we are drawing your attention to this aspect of the consultation.

Public procurement is worth around £175 billion a year and we believe that contracting authorities should consider how they can more consistently use public procurement to help deliver our equality objectives. The consultation outlines the proposed specific duties we think will help to achieve this.

The consultation contains 3 procurement-related proposals. One is for contracting authorities to set out within their equality objectives how they will ensure that equality factors are considered in their procurement activities. The remaining two proposals focus on the use of equality-related award criteria and contract conditions. It also asks about the principle of excluding suppliers who have breached discrimination law, and about the principle of the approach to a possible national equality standard linked to procurement.

They are interested in your views as well as speaking to some businesses in more detail. If you would like to hear more about the procurement aspect of the Equality Bill, or to participate further in this consultation please contact: Jenny.harland@geo.gsi.gov.uk

The Consultation is available at: http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/Specific%20Duties%20Consultation%20DocumentWEB.pdf

APA will be responding so please copy us in if you respond directly or feel free to discuss the matter with me personally.

Gareth

Christmas is coming ....

“It’s never too early to start planning for the Office Christmas party” and, according to Carrie Larwood, Director of new APA business partner, Function Fixers, "If you haven’t started by now it may well already be too late to get the pick of the venues." Many companies actually booked their 2009 party back in January to make sure that they got what they wanted, but there are still some great venues available and great deals to be struck.

Christmas parties are one of the most difficult events to organise for any business; especially in a recession. Getting it right can be the difference between causing a pre-festive crisis and rewarding the whole business team for their effort and tolerance in difficult times. You can’t be too flash with the cash but you want to have some fun and frivolity.

Function Fixers starts offering its services to APA Members later in the month (more to follow) and specialises in finding UK venues. It is a free and impartial venue finding service and prides itself on it quick response and wide range of choices. It will help Members find venues for conferences, training courses, all kinds of business meetings and corporate hospitality events as well as weddings and private parties.

As part of our aim to offer you a professional and friendly service we believe Function Fixers will be a valuable addition to our portfolio and help you to find the right venue for your event.

Ho Ho Ho,
Gareth

Is it a bird.. is it a plane .. Izzy a toddler?

You hear that a woman has collapsed as a result of an allergic reaction and as she gasps for air a heroic, super intelligent and calmly composed young person rushes to her aid, dials 999 and directs the emergency services to her side and you automatically think, she must be a PA!

Well there are many years ahead for her to prepare for a career in executive support but young Isabelle Keeling is in fact a 2-year old toddler who learned her skills and saved her mother’s life thanks to that well known training source, Tweenies. She had watched an episode recently describing what to do in an emergency and her Mum had played games wit her to amplify the point. Well done Izzy.

If any APA members or readers have kids who have done similarly outstanding deeds we would love to hear.

Gareth
Photograph Copyright The Press Association

Alpha Females

For women, it does not pay to be nice: 'Alpha females' earn £40,000 more in their lifetime

By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 7:44 AM on 14th July 2009

Women who adopt a 'masculine approach' in the office earn up to £40,000 more in their working lives than their 'nicer' female colleagues, a study has revealed.

It found 'alpha females' earned 4 per cent more than their 'passive' co- workers, while 'neurotic' women - those deemed to be anxious or moody - suffered a drop in salary of 3 per cent.

At the same time, 'conscientious' women who displayed self-control and persistence on the job generally earned up to 5 per cent more than their lazier colleagues.

But although the research found that personality traits are just as important as intelligence in determining a woman's salary, it also revealed that they barely affect a man's earning potential.

The study, entitled Does It Pay to be Nice?, was unveiled yesterday at a conference at Essex University by researcher Guido Heineck. Mr Heineck, from the Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg, Germany, said it showed that personality traits such as 'agreeableness' were not beneficial in the workplace. 'Personality traits can have the same impact on earnings as intelligence,' he added. 'Our statistics show that being nice does not pay for women, whereas working hard does. 'This is probably, in part, because agreeable people are too passive in conflict situations and are poorer wage negotiators.

'Traditionally, women are more passive and likeable at work. This shows that to be successful in the workplace, women have to adapt to more alpha male-like behaviour.'

It found that alpha females earned on average 4 per cent more than their quieter coworkers - or £40,000 over a lifetime based on a 40-year career with an annual wage of £25,000.

Shelley, APA

The 2010 (Non-Domestic) Rating Revaluation

The Government published on 8th July the first results of the 2010 rating revaluation in England together with proposals for transitional arrangements for the 2010 rating list. As a result of revaluation and the relief arrangements the majority of businesses (60%) will see a fall in next year’s bill and one million businesses will see an average decrease of £770.

The proposed schemes for transitional arrangements would help nearly half a million businesses providing a total of £2 billion of relief for those facing increases. The Government is asking for views on a £2 billion relief scheme to support the minority of businesses (presumably the other 40%) who could see their rates increase as a result of the revaluation.

APA has been asked to comment and will be taking advice from professional advisors and Members before responding.

Gareth

A really good read for PAs

One magazine we genuinely look forward to receiving in the APA office is The Business Travel Magazine published by BMI. Not only is it extremely well written and wonderfully produced it is packed full of useful facts, tips and offers for, what it calls, corporate travel and meetings arrangers; in many businesses aka the PA. The features are provided by a host of industry experts and talented journalists and the publication is edited to make it easy to read, lively and attractive. Full marks to TBTM.

APA would recommend it as a must read publication for PAs and you can subscribe for free by visiting http://www.thebusinesstravelmag.com/ for either a hard copy or an online edition.

Gareth
APA has no affiliation to The Business Travel Magazine nor has it received funding or advantage in issuing this endorsement.

Head and shoulders above the rest

Places are filling quickly for the next APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA) course starting on 1st September 2009. But a few remain and PAs interested in elevating their knowledge to the next level and adding the prestigious DipPA letters to their name are encouraged to register now.

In some areas of the UK Companies may be eligible for funding from Business Link or the Learning and Skills Council of up to a £1,000 towards the cost of the training.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA and one of the presenters on the course says, ”This is a challenging programme and really tests the knowledge and skills of a PA but passing it will set them amongst the professionals elite and genuinely lift their knowledge base above that of a qualified manager. The Diploma is currently the highest achievement in the profession and sets the scene for the new Foundation Degree; under development at this time and due to be launched in 2010. There is no better time for businesses to invest in training and prepare for the return to a growing economy with all the tolls and skills in place to take full advantage of it.”

PAs wanting more information about the programme can visit the Training Zone featured on the navigation bar on the APA Home Page or email shelley.young@paprofessional.com.

Shelley

Brain Fatigue

Information Overload is an increasing problem both in the workplace and in life in general. Those that learn to deal with it effectively will have a major advantage in the next few years.
Information Overload is when you are trying to deal with more information than you are able to process to make sensible decisions. The result is either that you either delay making decisions, or that you make the wrong decisions.

It is now commonplace to be getting too many e-mails, reports and incoming messages to deal with them effectively. It will become increasingly important for PAs to know how best to support their bosses by minimising e-waste and maximising essential content.

APA hopes to play its part in this by including practical solutions in its new training programmes and by regular updates on best practice in the news section.

The root of the problem is that, although computer processing and memory is increasing all the time, we humans that must use the information are not getting any faster. Effectively, the human mind acts as a bottleneck in the process. We will also be addressing the subject of brain training and whether you can learn the techniques of human search engine optimisation.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Gareth

Expenses and Benefits

Businesses should be aware that the filing day for 2008/9 P11D and P11D (b) forms is looming: 6th July 2009.

If you aren't sure what these forms are, they relate to expenses paid to any employee (and director) who earns over £8,500 per year. The P11D is submitted to the relevant tax office and employees given a copy. Some may also need to complete Form P11D (b), which shows Class 1A National Insurance contributions on expenses and benefits.

Those employees who filed paper P11D (b) form last year should have been sent new paper forms and a payslip. Businesses who submitted online forms last year will have been sent an online reminder to file the form before the deadline.

It is worth checking if it has been done in your business.

Gareth

Once upon a time ....

In a galaxy not so very far away, there has been yet another name change to confuse the innocent and empower the few.

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen the name of the Government Department once known as the DTI (The Department for Trade and Industry) changed to BIS (The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). Not so bad but in between these was BERR (The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) but all offering the same (or remarkably similar) support services to the business community.

Now I recognised that Government may not be as fixated on Brand Value as we are in business but for goodness sake too much change does little other than confuse users and make a massive workload for sign makers, printers and office relocation companies.

I wonder just how much this constant change really costs the poor old tax payer.

Gareth

Morning or afternoon person?

People really can be classed as “early risers” and “night owls”, according to new research. Scientists have uncovered proof that brain functions peak at different times of the day in different types of people.

Researchers in Canada found that the brains of “morning people” were most excitable at 9am but that this slowly decreased during the day. However, for night owls it was the exact opposite with their brains most excitable at 9pm.

The researchers also found that “evening people” became physically stronger throughout the day. But the strength of “morning people” remained much the same before fading later in the day.

I know which I am, do you?

Shelley, APA

From a report in the Daily Mail Friday 26th June by Emily Fox

'Thinking outside the Box'

You must have heard the phrase ‘Think outside the Box’. People use it all the time when they are trying to get you to act creativity or do something differently.

As a business strategist I have one fundamental problem with the notion of ‘thinking outside the box’, and that is, how can you if you can’t see it, feel it or someone has defined its parameters to you. How do you know when you are inside or outside of it?

So, the next time some asks you to TOTB, just ask them to define it!

Most businesses fail to recognise the true power of business planning and if they do, many don’t have a documented, rehearsed and communicated strategy available to all staff. Most businesses don’t have a Business Plan; which I find outrageous. However, if they did then they would definitely be able to tell people to be creative and think outside the Plan. So I believe, very strongly, that the box is the Business Plan and vice versa.

Does your company have a Business Plan? Is it communicated, regularly referred to and is it part of a culture by which you live and drive the business? I would like to know.

Gareth

Stress in the workplace

Almost six in ten workers are feeling more stressed out and under pressure as a result of the economic climate. This is the key finding of Aviva's latest healthcare report, Health of the Workplace, which also reveals that just under half of employers have no provision for dealing with stress.

Alex Marshall, a business development manager at Aviva, said some of the reasons employees are feeling extra pressure are linked to job insecurity, a strong commitment to their role and the need to provide for their family.

He stated: "Around 37 per cent of employees are failing to take lunch breaks, so as a first step, employers should be encouraging a good work/life balance and promote a culture that encourages staff to take their statutory break. Businesses need to be aware that longer working hours can affect workplace performance." Mr Marshall added that higher numbers of accidents or injuries could result from long hours, leading to an increase in claims of incapacity and long-term sickness benefits. There should be a strong focus on stress management, which should be treated like any other workplace hazard," he proposed.

One of my great PAs, Faye Jennings (now Crisp) had a 'look' that worked wonders when I was starting to get uptight. She would look across at me and shake her head from side to side in what I used to call her 'Stupid Boy' look. It was guaranteed to make me smile and recognise the error of my ways!

Gareth

Hail Fellow!

This week APA Director General, Gareth Osborne, visited the Institute of Credit Management to award a Certificate of Fellowship to Tracy Carter, PA to its Chief Executive, Philip J King. Blog readers may already know Tracy (TC) from her outstanding contribution as a commentator and will be pleased to know she will be joining the growing group of Blog Authors soon.

Gareth said, “Tracy’s involvement in APA was immediate. Since joining she has offered suggestions about the organisation, provided content for the monthly Members email, given advice to other Members and joined in on our blog site, prepared to comment on a host of topics. She is a well informed and involved PA and that is the best any association can hope for from its Members. We noticed that she was eligible - by experience - to become a Fellow and concluded that her passion and participation warranted recognition. Tracy is a true star in terms of her understanding of what makes a great PA and a credit to ICM. Having met Philip I have little doubt they make a great team.”

Gareth

Note for PAs: If you have staff in your business who are responsible for Credit Management matters why not ask if they are members of their professional body, ICM, and give them the url: http://www.icm.org.uk

Thanks Pal!

APA offers its sincere apologies to anyone who has experienced difficulty paying for membership, training or other pa-raphernalia through the APA Shop, using PayPal, over the last month. Thanks for your tolerance and I was delighted how seamlessly people reverted to ‘payment by cheque’ or ‘BACS’; proving that web-technology does not always 'rule OK!'

The problem, believed to have been caused by PayPal discontinuing one product and superseding it by another, resulted in us having to upload the new product module and then carrying out some extensive configuration changes to the server to ensure that the new module worked correctly. This resulted in considerable frustration and a number of unsuccessful attempts before correcting the predicament.

Normal service has now been resumed and online payment is working perfectly again.

Gareth

Righting the Wrongs

Turkey Twizzlers are good for you and polar bears aren't dying out! According to Professor Vincent Marks in a new book coming out soon anyway.

Melting ice caps, global warming, our favourite foods giving us cancer. The doom-mongers love to tell us we're all going to hell in a handcart. But don't panic! A new book uncovers some inconvenient truths that give the pessimists pause for thought ...

The main highlights include:
We don't know what causes heart disease,
Take health advice with a pinch of salt,
Mercury fillings are probably harmless,
Turkey Twizzlers are fine,
The Sun is behind global warming, our star not the newspaper,
The Maldives aren't sinking,
CO2 levels are not at unprecedented highs,
Polar Bears are not dying out ... nore are Penguins,
The Gulf Stream is not under threat,
There are few 'bad' foods,

This is the kind of science I love, I also like conspiracy theories.

Shelley, APA

Extracted from an article in the Daily Mail commenting on Global Warming And Other Bollocks: The Truth About All Those Science Scare Stories by Professor Stanley Feldman and Professor Vincent Marks, to be published by Metro on July 8.

Beware 118 for Mobiles

Controversial mobile phone directory 118 800 fails to connect on its first day
By Sean Poulter Daily Mail 19th June 2009

Generally, mobile phone numbers are private and only given to people known to the handset user - either friends and family or work colleagues. However, 118 800 will allow complete strangers to find and call you on your mobile.

Mobile phone networks have been inundated with calls from customers worried that their private numbers have been passed on to the company running the new service. In fact, the company behind it, Connectivity, has bought the numbers from list brokers who in turn buy personal details from market research firms and online stores. To date, the company claims it has collated a list of 16million mobile numbers - around 40 per cent of the 42million in regular use in the UK. However, it plans to build the list to cover the majority of users. Individuals will also be able to volunteer to place their numbers with the mobile directory enquiry service.

Critics claim the people whose numbers appear in the directory were never told their numbers would be bought and sold in this way.

Connectivity insists it is able to protect the privacy of the public because it does not hand over the mobile phone numbers to users of the service. Rather it acts as an intermediary to put the caller in touch with the person they are trying to find. Callers should be able to dial the 118 800 service and give the name and home area, preferably an address, of the person they are looking for. The company will then search for that person on its database.

The system for calling mobiles failed yesterday, on its first day.

Readers should be aware that their mobile number may not be as secure as they thought!

Shelley, APA

Call me a Donut [Doughnut]

A useful new website has recently been launched in a joint venture between Google and Royal Mail offering specialist marketing advice to small businesses across the UK. They have joined forces to establish Marketing Donut, which includes promotions and advertising tips from sales and public relations experts.

The site's developers say it has been launched in response to demand for "high quality, free advice" covering all aspects of marketing. Practical information on improving techniques will be offered, in addition to videos and tools designed to help companies improve the quality and effectiveness of their output.

Tim Rivett, Royal Mail's head of small business, said his organisation was committed to services that help companies across the UK grow – such as helping them attract and retain customers through cost-effective and creative direct marketing campaigns. In the current economic climate, small businesses are looking at targeted and accountable ways of advertising their products and services."

According to a new study conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau, the internet was the only marketing medium to experience growth in 2008.

This information could be worth passing on to those in the business responsible for sales and marketing and make sure you tell them that it was APA that told you.

Gareth

To go view site go to: http://www.marketingdonutblog.co.uk/

The generation that ask 'Y'

Although a self-professed party animal, now in my mid-twenties, I am from a fairly conservative background and had a conventional education; I consider myself pretty normal. However, I do struggle to understand some of the 'youngsters' who come looking for jobs but find it hard to demonstrate a work-ethic.

I have just read a report of new research from Ashridge Business School which suggests that business managers should look beyond harmful preconceptions about younger members of the workforce and reports that many business managers fail to understand 'Generation Y' workers and are unaware of how to help them achieve their full potential.

It suggests that firms which subscribe to commonly-held views about those under the age of 27 risk alienating young talented staff.The report points out these workers are not the technical geniuses they are often portrayed to be and they often have poor self-awareness compared to previous generations. Generation Y is said to be short of risk-takers and new entrants to the world of work may be less concerned about the environment than they are often professed to be.

I plan to have a chat with our HR advisers and see what they recommend but if it is true I think it might be time for a radical rethink of how our managers recruit and induct new juniors. Perhaps we are getting it wrong, what do others think?

Aimee Lewis FAPA

Digital Britain

This week the Government published the Digital Britain Report, its strategic vision for ensuring that the UK is at the leading edge of the global digial economy.

The report provides actions and recommendations to promote and protect talent and innovation in our creative industries, to modernise TV and radio frameworks and support local news, and introduces policies to maximise the social and economic benefits from digital technologies.

The Report is one of the central policy commitments in the Government's Building Britain's Future plan and draft legislative programme.

Digital Britain measures include:

· A three-year National Plan to improve Digital Participation
· Universal Access to today's broadband services by 2012
· Next Generation fund for investment in tomorrow's broadband services
· Digital radio upgrade by the end of 2015
· Mobile spectrum liberalisation, enhancing 3G and accelerating Next Generation services
· Robust legal and regulatory framework to combat Digital Piracy
· Support for public service content partnerships
· A revised digital remit for Channel 4
· Consultation on funding options for national, regional and local news

For more information and to view the report go to: http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/5631.aspx

Colin Minto, Technology Director of APA said, “Britain needs a strong digital strategy for the future if we are to maximise the commercial opportunities available from an increasingly web-based society. The UK has historically turned its back on manufacturing and technological innovation and the financial sector has recently self-destructed. If Britain is not to fall back to become a truly third-world economy it definitely needs to lead the world in its digital expertise. APA supports the Government's thinking and has and will participate in its consultation process.”

Gareth

Homework set to increase

Up to a quarter of the UK working population could be carrying out employment duties from their homes by 2020, it has been claimed. According to insurance firm Aviva, workplace trends are changing and people are increasingly seeking to embrace non-standard work patterns as they seek an improved work-life balance. Consequently, the number of people engaging in "smart working" is set to rise significantly from the current figure of one million in the UK, it is claimed.

Julie Fromant, home lifestyle manager at Aviva UK said: "The work landscape is constantly changing and a quarter of the population is expected to work from home at least once a week by 2020. Mums and dads choosing to work flexi hours, the growing number of freelancers and higher levels of redundancy all mean that home working has become a real alternative to the corporate office."

Moneysupermarket.com editor Clare Francis claimed this week that home workers should keep their office separate from the rest of their house. She suggested allocating a room for use solely as a study or office, in order to prevent work encroaching too much into the personal lives of individuals.

This is a subject that is set to run and run but those who embrace the new employment style and practices will gain most in the long term.

Gareth

Building Britain's Future: New Industry, New Jobs

I have just sourced an interesting document published by BERR (formerly the DTI) packed full of useful economic statistics about the business landscape and its thoughts for how we may go forward (post the downturn).

I was looking for some useable information for my Boss to help bolster our new Business Plan and stumbled on this and thought it would be useful for other PAs doing similar tasks.

I hope it proves useful.

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

Link to a downloadable pdf: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file51023.pdf

On APA and Politics

Like all truly professional Associations APA is politically neutral or, perhaps more correctly, an apolitical organisation. Our role makes it important that we can debate issues of particular importance to our Members and represent their interests at all levels, across all parties and the great political divide. Our attitude to governance reflects a strategy to support any Government that supports business, especially small business, irrespective of political creed.

For this reason APA avoids all political debate that is not driven by the will of our Members.

So why do I remind you of this? Well, I have to say that I am appalled to learn that Kitty Usher, a Treasury Minister, has today felt the need to resign from her post for fear of her actions reflecting badly on the Government and the Prime Minster. And press speculation concludes that this is because she has [allegedly] used the rules that govern MPs allowances to avoid payment of up to £17,000 in tax.

This follows in the wake of a sea of omissions by MPs, of all persuasions, that they have done the same is a massive collective breach of their professional ethics. Currently around 50 MPs have repaid around £500,000 to the Fees Office; with many more to follow.

If a Member of any professional association, including our own, was to make such a transparent and admitted breach of their Code of Professional Practice/Ethics they would almost certainly be expelled from membership.

Perhaps it’s time Politicians had an effective professional body! What do you think?

Gareth

Business travel habits change

A survey compiled and released to mark the first Business Travel Market at London’s ExCeL exhibition centre reports that the recession has forced business travel habits to change. A cross section of travel buyers from UK and Europe were surveyed and 86.2% said the recession had forced cost cutting measures, many of which would be retained after full economic recovery.

Of the cutbacks detailed, the highest response for change was that 79.2% are making greater use of conference call and web-based technologies. 67.9% have cut back on the number of approved trips, 66% now book further in advance to take advantage of lower cost options and 49.1% said class of travel had been downgraded. Only 7.5% reported a total travel ban, although 26.4% reported a travel ban for non-revenue generating trips.

Other cutbacks mentioned included holding same day meetings to avoid overnight stays, shorter stays, multiple meetings in the same trip, greater use of low cost airlines and public transport and a reduction in the use of limos and taxis.

Whilst those surveyed who will retain restrictions when financial stability returns, the top three measures most likely to remain were: continued and greater use of conference call and associated web-based technologies; early booking of lower cost travel options; and a downgraded class of travel policy.

Surprisingly, 31% reported an increased use of rail service to and within Europe, for environmental rather than cost cutting reasons, indicating that environmental concerns remain high on the corporate agenda. Finally, of the buyers that use a travel management company, 65.5% felt they provided best fares and rates and provided crucial data for efficient management of travel and offered 24/7 support. Only 13.8% thought they didn’t add value.

APA supports the need for a more strategic approach to cost effective business travel and encourages Members to work within their business to reduce excesses and unnecessary stays away from home. It is far more cost effective to travel on the same day; starting early and returning late and working for half day the following day or working from home than it is to fund an overnight stay.

Gareth

Would you work for Peanuts?

British Airways is asking thousands of its staff to work for free for up to four weeks, according to its spokeswoman, Kirsten Millard. In an e-mail to all its staff, the airline offered workers between one and four weeks of unpaid leave -- but with the option to work during this period. British Airways employs just more than 40,000 people in the United Kingdom. Last month, the company posted a record annual loss of £400 million.

"I'm 30 years in this business and I've never seen anything like this. This is by far the biggest crisis the industry has ever faced," said Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive. Demand for the airline's passenger seats and cargo holds fell during the last financial year, while its fuel bill rocketed to almost £3 billion. Walsh said British Airways' woes were inextricably linked to the downturn in the global economy and that there had been absolutely no sign of any "green shoots" of recovery.

The airline's premium passenger numbers fell 13 percent in the second half of last year, in line with the industry average. Total traffic fell 3.4 percent and while the airline carried 33.1 million passengers last year, it was a drop of 4.3 percent from the previous year. The dip in demand for British Airways' flights has forced a switch in strategy at the airline. From the end of last year, it has been trying to tempt passengers with lower fares, sacrificing profit per seat for "bums on seats."

APA supports BA as it fights the economic pressures of the moment but feels it is a giant leap of faith to ask its workforce (especially its heavily unionised workforce) to consider making this investment in the company's future. We recognise this is the first step towards redundancy as the only realistic alternative, but feel it might be a difficult strategy to pull off.

Gareth

Free Ironing

Times Online June 10, 2009 Mark Frary

Free ironing the latest perk in the business hotel war
North American chain adds tempting freebies for its loyal guests in a bid to win custom

I have often ranted here about the cost of wi-fi and praised those enlightened hotel chains that have decided to offer it free of charge. Of course, free of charge is just a relative thing in the world of room rates and some argue that hotels just increase them to cover the cost of providing the extra service.

Moaning about the cost of wi-fi is yesterday’s news though. Word has reached me that Omni Hotels, which has a clutch of top-notch business hotels in cities across North America including the Berkshire Place in New York and the Shoreham in Washington, has started to offer free ironing and shoe-shining to members of its loyalty programme Select Guest. This is in addition to the free wi-fi the company already offers members. Best of all, membership of Select Guest is free of charge too.

I think it’s a very savvy move from the company since ironing is almost universally detested except by masochists. With business hotels desperate to attract guests, rates are unlikely to increase to cover the costs either.

So will Omni’s move start a free extras war among the hotel chains? We now have free wi-fi, ironing and shoe shining. Whatever next? Free minibar perhaps?

I suspect that even now as I write, some forward-thinking hotelier out there is toying with the idea of giving rooms away free and having expensive adverts playing on vast flat screens covering all of your room’s walls.

Is this something when booking any accommodation for your boss he or she may be interested in? let me know

Shelley, APA

Work remotely this summer

Small businesses could save money by offering employees the option of home working, a new study suggests. Research by Citrix Online has studied the effects the recent Tube strikes had on businesses in the capital and found that over 1.3 million hours were lost by firms as a result. It found that 54 per cent of London workers had to travel into the office due to employers 'banning them' from remote working.

This is despite 47 per cent claiming to have been able to be just as productive working from home.The survey of 1,000 Londoners found that 33 per cent of them were disrupted by the strike by Underground staff. Some were found to have abandoned their journey, with only five per cent working from home, two per cent taking the day off and one per cent admitting to a sickie.

Gareth Osborne of APA said, “There is still a reluctance to trust staff working from home and until Managers tackle this head-on they will never take advantage of this inevitable trend in working practice. I personally believe the Head Office of the future will be entirely virtual and most people will operate from home or smaller remote locations.”

Bernardo de Albergaria, general manager at Citrix Online, said, "The survey clearly demonstrates that workers could be as or more productive working from home, but unfortunately many businesses are not being as quick to recognise the benefits of adopting a flexible working approach in their business continuity plans."

APA would encourage all forward thinking employers to form a Home Working Policy Group to start developing a strategy for inclusion in the staff handbook. It is worth starting by looking at those jobs that can be operated more flexibly. Gareth concluded, "I regularly work from home and can do three super productive hours before I break for breakfast at 9am."

APA

Some brightness on the horizon

Business confidence is increasing in the UK, according to the latest Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets Business Barometer.

It shows that after a third consecutive monthly rise, business confidence levels were at their highest in a year during May.Some 44 per cent predicted a rise in business activity when questioned last month, compared to 35 per cent out of April's sample. The number expecting activity to worsen fell from 21 per cent in April to 16 per cent last month as the barometer balance increased by 14 per cent.

Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, said: "While it would be premature to talk of an end to the recession, we should be careful not to overlook the significance of the growing confidence we are witnessing amongst businesses." He stated that confidence is "always the foundation" on which any recovery is built. Mr Williams added that three consecutive months of growing optimism amongst UK businesses had been seen, meaning an economic recovery should not be too far behind if this persists over the coming months.

Earlier this month, Defaqto economist Michael Baxter claimed low interest rates and quantitative easing are leading to an improvement in economic conditions.

APA believes there is some relaxation in the market and that will tend to fuel a little more calculated risk taking and some spending but recommends that businesses should exercise caution over the summer months and look again in September before doing anything radical.

Gareth

National Boss Day

Date 16th October 2009

Also known as "National Bosses Day". Boss's Day is a United States secular holiday celebrated on October 16. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their superiors for being kind and fair throughout the year. The holiday has been the source of some controversy and criticism in the United States, where it is often mocked as a Hallmark Holiday.

Is this something that the UK should adopt, we seem to adopt most things from America or is this a step too far? Shelley..

Small business costs are falling

The cost of running a small business dropped in the first quarter of the year, according to reports.

According to the More Than's quarterly business inflation guide, which measures a basket of the 20 most important items bought by small firms, running costs for small firms have dipped by 1.4 per cent over the first quarter of 2009. In particular labour, advertising, materials and vehicle costs all contributed to the fall.

Overall, costs in the first three months of this year were 0.6 per cent lower than the same period in 2008, with the recent falls offsetting rises seen in the last half of the year.Commenting on the findings, head of More Than Business Mike Bowman told the Press Association: "The fact that we're experiencing such sustained deflationary conditions demonstrates just how deep the recession has become in the UK. The volatility has made it very difficult to plan and invest, placing tremendous pressure on cash flows and managing stock and staffing levels."

Service orientated businesses are particularly likely to benefit from the drop in costs, as one of their main outgoings is labour.

APA believes every little helps and as a service business itself it is grateful for any savings although I believe that other peripheral costs (perhaps not embraced in More Than's survey) are negating the benefits. One of the greatest downsides is that debtors are talking longer to pay and the cost of the money to sustain these debtor days is rising. I would certainly like to hear from Members or readers who think their financial departments are jumping up and down at the news of savings.

Gareth

Balancing the baby and a business!

Some women find that the only way they could juggle work and children is to establish their own business, it has been claimed.

According to the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE), childcare can put a "huge burden" on employment and starting their own firm can help some women achieve balance. However, the body's president Tatjana Hine stated that setting up shop on their own is not an "easy" option for working mums as they still have to work around and pay for nannies etc."

It isn't an easy option, it's as simple as that, there is no easy way to be looking after children and to be a company holder where you are employing people and you have them to worry about as well," she added.

Earlier this year a study by Prowess highlighted that female entrepreneurs could be key to helping the UK out of the recession.The research stated that positive evidence points to women business owners driving a new enterprise model based on diligent risk taking and collaboration which take account of wider social values alongside profits.

So what do APA Members think, would they consider going it alone and what help do they think they may need. Our own Doctor Gareth is a renowned entrepreneur, he might have some views on this? Please let me know.

Aimee Lewis FAPA

"Olderpreneurs"

People are increasingly setting up their own businesses at an older age, according to new research.Recent research by Standard Life and YouGov highlighted that the trend for 'olderpreneurs' is set to become more prominent, with eight per cent of UK adults hoping to start their own firms in retirement.

The research also found that 85 per cent of the population do not envisage themselves giving up work completely post-retirement, with almost a third saying they want to continue work in the same sector, but on their own terms.It was also noted that people feel totally confident with their skills levels at the age of 37, while workers reach peak fulfilment at 50.

Commenting on the findings, John Lawson from Standard Life said: "Quite simply, people do not get old like they used to. The Baby Boomers started a trend for redefining what is effectively their 'third age' and these findings point to a continued trend for re-writing the rule book for younger generations."

A recent survey conducted by The Bright Idea Handbook, which is published by leading consumer interest group Which?, highlighted that that 15 per cent of people have credible business ideas, but just one in ten follow them through.

Gareth

Bosses cutting the number of meetings

Business bosses are rethinking the amount of time their teams spend in meetings, according to new research. A study commissioned by IT firm Parity highlighted that UK staff spend the equivalent of eight weeks a year in face-to-face meetings.

It revealed that as a result of the recession, businesses are instructing staff to reduce the number of face-to-face meetings they hold in a bid to cut down on costs and maximise productivity by keeping staff in the office.

Simon Wayne, managing director at Parity Solutions, said: "While people may think they prefer the traditional meeting format, face-to-face meetings often end up wasting vast sums of money in travel costs and unproductive 'dead time', and could just as well be hosted from employees' desks."However, the study suggested that this could be an unpopular move, with 89 per cent of respondents stating they prefer meeting with someone in person. The firm suggested that technology could be used to hold virtual meetings such a teleconferences and webinars instead.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA agrees that Technology can be used to reduce some of the burden meetings place on senior managers but would encourage PAs not to drop meetings all together, he says, “Meetings are an essential part of relationship building and lasting partnership need people to look into each others eyes when they are making a commitment – I hope there never comes a day when you can do every thing via the ether!”

APA

Experts extol effectiveness of exporting

Small businesses should be looking to make sales abroad as well as to the home market, according to experts. A new joint drive by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) aims to make firms think about exporting, after research by the bodies highlighted that 58 per cent of companies only export because they were approached by their customers and 19 per cent by an agent or distributor.

Commenting on these efforts, Stephen Alambritis, head of public affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said that there is "nothing to beat selling abroad as well as to the home market". He added that the benefits of embracing the export market include having a fall back if the home market dries up, adding to business turnover and boosting a firm's reputation.

The BCC and UKTI research also highlighted that half of firms export to specific markets as they already have contacts there, which the BCC states shows companies are not being as proactive as they could be.

APA reminds Members that we do have a small but growing International membership and PAs aboard may have contacts that could be useful when companies are looking to establish a foothold in overseas markets.

APA

PA to an Apprentice

By now we all know that Lord Grumpy (Oops sorry, no offence intended your [potentially] Ennobled One!) has taken his new Apprentice and the battle is over for another year but will the talented Yasmina Siadatan be more successful than some of the recent winners? I believe her entrepreneurial flair has appealed to Sir Alan for some time and she stands a good chance of retaining his interest.

He obviously had a hard decision to make at the end between the three final competitors - Yasmina, the creatively talented Katie Walsh and the fiesty Debra Barr, who went out last in the penultimate show. All three would have been worthy winners and will make great busines leaders in the future.

I would like to know how you voted, who did you think would win and of the last three, which would you most like to work for [and not work for] and why?

Gareth

Bo Selecta

It’s always great to hear of good conquering evil or the little guy winning through against all odds. That’s why new of success for Natalie Ellis, 41, inventor of the travel dog bowl which reduces splashes and slobber by 90 per cent is such a joy.

The businesswoman was inspired to create the travel bowl by her pet miniature pinscher, Shizza, after a brush with the law for trying to give her thirsty dog a drink while driving.
She designed and patented the non-spill water bowl which has floating tray to cut splashes and spills.

But her dreams of cracking the American market were left in tatters when she was turned down for £120,000 of investment by the Dragons and told she did not have a chance of being successful in the US. Not to be deterred the mother-of-one from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex has made more than £1 million from selling her invention in America and has now been asked to supply one for the White House's first dog, Bo Obama. "They contacted me and said can we have one for President Obama and I was taken aback," said Mrs Ellis, "It's absolutely amazing to think my invention is going to be used in The White House. She said: "This could be the start of something really big for me, it's such an amazing opportunity.

"When I go back to Dragons' Den I will be sitting in one of the chairs."

Gareth Osborne of APA, himself a Doctor of Business Innovation, said, “This is a wonderful example of invention based-on life experience, backed by courage and dogged determination. PAs have to demonstrate that same power of innovation to find solutions to unforeseen problems thrown at them on a daily basis. It is the same problem solving talent that leads entrepreneurs to take risks, realise dreams and create their financial independence.”

Do we have any PAs with exciting ideas out there?

Carly Beales FAPA

Stress in the Workplace

Workers who are under a lot of stress for long periods of time are likely to experience low job satisfaction, it has been claimed. It is reported that stressed workers are experiencing panic attacks and insomnia as a result of the economic downturn.

Business Link adviser Alexandra Shoobert reminds business owners that staff who are not happy in their job are less likely to work as productively. Her comments come after a Norwich Union Healthcare study found that one in five workers is suffering from depression. Ms Shoobert claims that such occurrences can be symptoms of stress, which may have been brought about through worries about personal financial or job security, or even that of other loved ones. It doesn't necessarily follow that just because people are worried about their job security that they are going to work more effectively. They might work longer hours.”

Some 46 per cent of those interviewed by Norwich Union claimed to be suffering from insomnia while 33 per cent cited migraines and 21 per cent said they suffered from anxiety attacks and palpitations.

APA suggests PAs should be aware of the increasing incidence of stress in the workplace and watch out for signs of depression, especially in their Boss, who carries the greatest burden. A classic reaction when someone is overstressed or under extreme pressure in the work place, is the continuous rejection of assistance when they need it most.

APA

Rock en Espana

Strict European labour laws designed to protect employees has produced an unexpected offer to the employees of one Spanish Bank. Even in bizarre financial times this is an opportunity to seriously consider.

Spanish bank BBVA is offering to pay long-term employees almost a third of their salary to go away for up to five years. This is one of a number of options offered to its near 30,000 workforce in an attempt to contain costs. BBVA is also offering the opportunity of a shorter working week on reduced pay or extra unpaid time off for staff. For those who take a break, the bank is undertaking to preserve the post for the employee's return.

Laying off permanent staff in Spain is expensive -- employees are entitled to up to 45 days salary for every year they have worked for a company -- and many of BBVA's employees have been there long enough to qualify for up to three years pay if they were made redundant. The BBVA approach not only saves the bank money but keeps people out of Spain's increasingly long queues of jobless.

Unemployment reached 4 million in the first quarter, with the unemployment rate hitting 18.1 percent in April and a rate of well above 20 percent is widely predicted.

What the offer also shows is that even those Spanish banks which have so far escaped the worst of the economic downturn such as BBVA and larger rival Santander are vulnerable and need to cut costs to rebuild their balance sheets.

Gareth

Reported by Reuters

To retain staff be flexiblle

Flexible working and the availability of paternity leave can help firms retain talent and combat staff attrition, it has been claimed.

According to David Bartlett, deputy chief executive of The Fatherhood Institute, allowing workers some leeway to tailor their own employment conditions can make it easier to hold on to better quality staff. He comments that fathers in particular need access to greater workplace flexibility, claiming that there is a "good business case" for such moves.

Mr Bartlett says: "This recession is not going to go on forever, and you could argue 'when is there ever going to be a good time for this' as people are always under pressure. The businesses that are going to survive best are those who can see their long term future, and actually operate strategically and not just tactically."

He claims that flexible working is good for both businesses and for families – two things which he claims are often opposed to each other.

Mr Bartlett adds: "If you have people in work where things aren't going well for them from a family point of view, they are ultimately not going to function very well for you either."

APA strongly supports the principle of flexible workings but reminds readers that flexibility is a two-way street and as employers are encouraged to better understand the needs, wants and external pressures facing staff, then so should employees recognise the changing needs of business. Flexible employment works well where a clear agreement of expectations is reached in advance.

Gareth

News of the Day - please welcome Lily Minto

We have just received news that our own Technology Director, Colin Minto, has become a father to a beautiful baby girl - Lily Grace Minto, born today at 7:45am and weighing in at 6lb 9ozs. Lily is sister to Thomas, aged 3.

APA, and I am sure all of its Members, send Colin and family our love and best wishes.

Shelley

ER - have I really done that?

I was talking to one of our Members this morning and we touched on our TV favourites. We agreed on ER; having watched the final episode last week. It got me thinking …

So, having surfed the Net it appears that there have been around 325 one hour episodes and a few specials of ER and I think I have watched them all. If it is true, then I have invested 330 hours in ER. If we assume we sleep for 8 hours, leaving 16 hours when we could potentially watch TV. That means I have committed 3 weeks of my life to this series. Note to self – I must get a life!

Are people going to watch the new series - allegedly about PAs - called Personal Affairs?

Shelley, APA

Too few Women on the Board

Forget the glass ceiling – the real gender problem for Britain’s boardrooms is a lack of women ready to take on the role of director, according to Kathleen O’Donovan, one of the country’s most senior non-executives.

Research by a company co-founded by Ms O’Donovan, who became the FTSE 100’s first female finance director at BTR in 1991, has found that businesses want to appoint women to their boards but cannot find enough experienced female candidates. “Time and again, we were told there are too few women in the pipeline – too few rising up career paths, too few gaining experience in running things, too few in the top executive roles,” says the report by Bird & Co Board and Executive Mentoring.

It interviewed 36 directors of FTSE companies, public sector and not-for-profit organisations, two-thirds of them women. This comes after Helen Alexander, president-nominee of the CBI employers’ group, told the Financial Times last week that boards composed entirely of white males indulged in narrow ‘groupthink’ and were missing out on talent.

Ms O’Donovan is deputy chairwoman of Great Portland Estates and non-executive director at Prudential, Trinity Mirror and ARM Holding and with Isabel Bird, co-founded Bird & Co Executive Board Mentoring 18 months ago. It aims to coach, mentor and train 24 female executives in the coming months – and 100 over four years – to try to make them ‘board-ready’. Typically they will be divisional heads or on executive committees at FTSE 100 groups and would go on to gain their first non-executive directorship at a smaller quoted company. As well as Ms O’Donovan, the mentors will include Alison Carnwath, Land Securities’ new chairman, and Val Gooding, former chief executive of Bupa, who is on the board of J Sainsbury and Standard Chartered Bank.
The training will cover “corporate theatre” or boardroom dynamics, how to get your voice heard on a board, corporate governance and financial matters and how to get a non-executive role.
She said women often progressed faster in professional firms, non-quoted companies and public sector organizations.

Women still occupy less than 12 per cent of directorships in FTSE 100 groups.

APA

Start thinking Graduates

Graduates are being "paralysed by fear" and put off applying for UK jobs because they believe the hype that no-one is hiring, top graduate recruiters have warned.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Deloitte – the top two graduate employers – have called on UK firms to promote the job opportunities that are still available despite the recession, to prevent talented prospective employees 'abandoning ship' and seeking alternative careers or placements abroad.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is advising graduates to seek work abroad or volunteer to avoid unemployment this summer.

But Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner at Deloitte, told Personnel Today: "Statistically it is more difficult to get a job, but the reduction in vacancies is not as great as people think it is.

Concerns over a lack of UK graduate jobs were further fuelled last week when a KPMG/Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey found just 49% of companies planned to offer jobs to university leavers this year.

Sonja Stockton of PwC said,” We would be concerned if talented graduates felt they needed to leave the UK to get work. We could lose a generation of students, skills and experience on the basis of presumptions graduates are making about the jobs market through reports that are not fully reflecting the opportunities that exist. More than ever, students and employers need to talk the same language about the skills required in business, and how students can develop and demonstrate them."

Emma Pollard, senior research fellow at think-tank the Institute for Employment Studies, agreed employers should better advertise opportunities to work in the UK, including paid placements or work experience. "Graduates don't know what they can do and what the opportunities are," she said.

APA feels this is the perfect time to be recruiting graduates and firms should start now to identify needs and commence discussions with universities. We feel that many business graduates may look for senior PA roles and this could be a good time for established and experienced PAs to recruit and train a graduate assistant and then place them elsewhere in the business.

APA

From an article by Kat Baker, Personnel Today

Got Talent?

Well the programme certainly lived up to its name and brought to the screen, for one night only, an eclectic mix of the performing arts. We were entertained for nearly three hours by acts from ages 10 to 74 on a hot spring night; in my case with a host of lightly-oiled friends around the Barbeque.
Were they the best of British? Probably not! Were they the best of the 100,000 who auditioned? Possibly not! But they did collectively make a good line-up that was capable of being the Royal Variety Show in its own right. I say full marks to ITV, Syco (Mr. Cowell’s production company, as part of SonyBMG), the Judges and Ant & Dec; who must all of profited nicely from the experience.

It made me wonder if we have any particularly talented PAs out there.

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

Dark days in Docklands

I have spent a fair amount of time in Docklands during my business life and have always been invigorated by the buzz the place exudes. During the heady days (pre-Crunch), when commissions were high, midday was always particular wild with the young and upwardly mobile heading out for the chichi boutiques and flamboyant lunches. But those days are long gone and as I met one of my favourite friends for lunch yesterday I couldn’t help noticing how gloomy everyone looked. No more bounce or riotous laughter, just long faces and subdued grunts. Over lunch a guy at the next table said, “Still, I’ve got an interview tonight, so it’s not all bad!”

I doubt that the financial sector will ever be a trusted barometer for the state-of-the-nation again but it seems a long way from recovery in Docklands. It would be good to hear from PAs working there to know if the picture is less gloomy that images suggest.

Gareth

UK Manufacturing falls slowing

According to the CBI’s monthly industrial trends survey for May, UK’s manufacturing firms expect the pace of decline in output to slow markedly in the next quarter, suggesting they believe the toughest phase of the recession may be behind them.

The results showed that 17% of the 575 firms surveyed said they expect the volume of output to increase over the next three months, against 34% who anticipate a fall. The resulting balance of -17% is a marked improvement on the previous month (a balance of – 32%), and takes the measure back to where it was before the collapse of Lehman Brothers last September (a balance of -16%).

Ian McCafferty, the CBI’s Chief Economic Adviser, said, “After scaling back production very sharply at the beginning of the year, manufacturers can see a glimmer at the end of the tunnel. They still expect manufacturing activity to fall, but at a much slower rate over the next few months. However, this was another tough month for firms, with orders at home and abroad still at very weak levels. Demand for UK-made goods remains weak with 10% of firms reporting above normal total order books in May, while 66% said they were below normal. The resulting balance of -56% is broadly unchanged from each of the previous three months."

Despite firms aggressively running down their stocks, levels remain high with a balance of 30% reporting stocks more than adequate to meeting demand, which was not far off March’s twenty eight year high (a balance of 31%).

Gareth

Note for PAs – this is useful data when your Boss asks for any evidence that things are starting to improve or when you need to demonstrate you have your finger on the pulse.

What is your credibility worth?

If I said that for less than £5 per week APA membership could dramatically improve your credibility as a Professional PA would you listen? If I said it would actually cost you little more than £1 per week would you join? And in many cases your business will pay for your membership because it is tax deductible as a professional subscription.

This is the new message we are using to promote APA to these thousands of PAs who are not yet Members and we are developing the messages that support this claim so that PAs can help elevate their status within the business and become seen, as they should be, as Managers; of time and the most valuable asset any business possesses – Its Directors.

APA is already being seen as the professional representative of this uniquely influential body of people and is consulted alongside organisations representing lawyers, accountants, directors and managers. Our ambition is to grow more and we need your help. If you read this blog (or are a Member of the Personal Assistants Community) and are not a member yet then apply to join at www.paprofessional.com or encourage friends and colleagues to join. We will even incentivise you for every new member you recruit.

APA is going places, join us on the journey.

Gareth

The search for the stars

Last week, the much-hyped Wolfram Alpha search engine went live. This week, Microsoft is expected to demonstrate its new 'Kumo' search platform. Both products have attracted much attention from the press and techies alike, but can either really challenge the dominance of Google as a search facility?

For the overwhelming majority of web users, the Google search service has become the de facto tool for searching the web. Former market leaders such as Yahoo have struggled to stay afloat while the word 'Google' is so popular that it has moved from a noun to a verb - a 21st century Hoover.

But do the new pretenders pose a threat?

Wolfram Alpha isn't exactly a 'Championship contender,' either in format or function. The brainchild of scientist Stephen Wolfram, aims to answer questions not in the normal 'keyword' format of traditional search engines, but in natural language. Early reactions have been mixed and the site has not been without its early critics but it does appear to return some interestingly different results,

Even when the early kinks are worked out, one has to question whether Wolfram Alpha will solve a genuine market need. After all, Google is pretty popular with users and while the keyword system has its flaws, it has worked pretty well so far. Rather than replace or compete with Google, it appears that Wolfram Alpha will have to settle for supplementing it instead. The new engine does do certain things better than Google, and it may be able to carve out a niche in the market. Perhaps that will be enough for Wolfram.

The situation is very different for Microsoft. Its long-awaited next-generation search technology, code-named Kumo, will be mount a direct assault on Google. The Company's recent attempt to acquire Yahoo was based almost solely on boosting revenues and when that deal fell through, Microsoft turned its attention in-house to construct a Google killer.

Watch this space for the ensuing battle of the technology giants.

Gareth

Based on an excellent article by Shaun Nichols of vnunet.com

EU Pregnant Worker Directive 2008 – pending amendment

APA is regularly asked by Government to comment on upcoming changes to legislation (UK & European). UK Government is currently seeking views on pending amendments to the European Commission's Pregnant Workers Directive (92/85/EEC).

The Directive sets down minimum levels of maternity rights, including leave and pay, which Member States must provide. The Commission’s aim is to contribute to better work life balance through improving the protections offered to pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. As part of its policies to support working parents, UK Government has built on the minimum standards set out in the existing Directive (2008) and provides a longer period of maternity leave and a higher rate of maternity pay than is currently required.

APA would welcome your views on the Commission’s proposal to change the minimum standards set out in the Directive, including the likely costs and benefits. Your views will inform our response to Government. It is worth looking at the section that compares EC minimums and the UK interpretation. In the case of compulsory maternity leave, currently two weeks in the UK, the EC is proposing an increase to six weeks – is this reasonable?

To view the Consultation Document go to: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file50575.pdf

APA

And then a hero comes along

In her reply to an article yesterday [To boldly go …] one of our most prolific bloggers, Tracy Carter FAPA (aka TC) said the following:

“This blog has touched on a subject that is on my mind at the moment. In my free time I'm a leader for Girlguiding and work with 5-7 yr olds (Rainbows). I showed the girls a photo of the Queen - they didn't know who it was, I played the national anthem, they didn't recognise it etc. In a fun way I am introducing them to Britain and the reasons to be proud of Britain - after reading this blog I will now introduce them to some of our heroes, I know Helen will certainly be on the list.”

I’m with Tracy here, who are our great heroes today and who really knows about them? It seems that hero status has gone from endeavour to celebrity; where we sometime know too much but surely a hero should be so much more.

As a community of PAs I would like to know who you consider a modern day hero and who you would regard as great business leaders (a business hero if you like). Who sets the standards so high that we can’t fail but to admire them? Your thoughts would be interesting. The payback is that I will promise to approach their PAs and attempt to enlist them.

Gareth

To boldly go ...

While I wouldn't want to take anything away from Major Tim Peake, who was announced yeaterday as Britain's first 'official' Astronaut; actually quite the reverse for as a former professional pilot myself he automatically joins the ranks of my aviational heroes, I object to the notion of 'first' when it's aplied to his achievement.

Helen Sharman will always remain the first 'true' British Astronaut to me; and I had the huge pleasure of interviewing her for a radio show I did in 1992.

Helen flew into space in 1991 aboard a Soyuz rocket (mission TM-12) which lasted 8 days and linked with the MIA space station. She was trained as an engineer and chemist and formerly worked for Mars (not the planet, the chocolate company). Can you imagine a better CV including both space travel and chocolate?

Gareth

Improving Brainpower

Vitamin D may play a key role in helping keep the brain working properly later in life, a new study claims.

Research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry looked at over 3,000 European men aged between 40 and 79 and compared their cognitive performance. The study found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in an internationally-recognised test that assesses an individual’s memory, recognition capabilities and speed of information processing.

Commenting on the findings, lead author Dr David Lee, from Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, said: "The positive effects vitamin D appears to have on the brain need to be explored further but claims the finding's raises questions about its potential benefit for those with or susceptible to dementia.”

Vitamin D is found in a small number of foods such as oily fish, eggs and liver. Other food sources include fortified foods such as margarine, breakfast cereals and powdered milk. But we get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin. This is because the vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. The best source is summer sunlight.

Sarah Tiddy FAPA - off to the beach!

Thanks a Billion

If we are now in the Year 2009 and if we count from Day 1 in Year 0000, then one million days will not have passed until the Year 2739. One (B) billion days won’t pass for an awfully long time! But why do I tell you this?

Some interesting facts about the unimaginable number 1 billion:

The Milky Way is reported to contain more than 200 billion stars,
The human brain has more than 200 billion neurons,
And British Banks consumed more than £200 billion of taxpayer’s money in 2008/9.

That’s food for thought!

Aimee Lewis FAPA

Walk About

In a discussion with a group of PAs recently, it was suggested by an attendee that he was one of the few people in the business who actually spent any ‘quality time’ with the MD. A number of people agreed.

This is perhaps not surprising as we tend to communicate more and more via the magic screen these days and this has drastically cut down the physical (even voice only) interaction to a minimum; reducing personal interchange to ‘How are You?’ or worse ‘hay?’ As a reply, ‘I’m OK’ is even worse [try saying it in six different ways to convey different emotions].

It reminded me of one of the great ‘new’ management techniques introduced over twenty years ago called MBWA or Management by Walking About. It suggested that every senior manager should regularly get out of the office and should go and chat to staff, at all levels, across a range of departments in the business. The notion was that by being seen and more importantly by listening to people you would get the best possible measurement of the company’s health. By asking a series of open but none threatening questions people you could identify the hot spots, the difficulties and even the weaknesses within the structure.

To be able to achieve a state of MBWA the Director, or more correctly his or her PA, has to find time to do it. But, as someone who has practiced the technique, I can promise the return on the investment of 30 minutes first thing every morning or a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon is enormous. I believe physical communication is at an all time low it’s time to break the emergency glass and reach for MBWA.

If you say ‘It’s never going to happen around here!’ then it makes the role of the PA even more important because s/he has an added responsibility to inform their boss of the ever changing temperature of the business. Think about it and let me know your thoughts.

Gareth

APA Members can see a more detailed article on MBWA within the Knowledge Zone of the Members Only area of the website http://www.paprofessional.com/index.php?id=18

The Art of Marketing

We have an excellent strand of debate running on the ‘Decomplexification’ article (below) and it reminded me of one of my very favourite business definitions. It relates to marketing; which few can explain and even fewer really understand, and suggests that:

Marketing is the art of seeing things from the Customer’s point of view.

It works for me because it defines marketing as a creative skill (an Art) not a science, and one that requires insight and an understanding of the most important person in the business cycle; the customer and recommends you putting yourself in their place. It also, in one short sentence, justifies the need for good market (customer) research.

Next time someone comes up with a Marketing concept or message, imagine yourself as the consumer of that product or service and ask yourself, “Does it work for me?”

Gareth

Decomplexification

I met with a friend recently (John Thomas of IFA) and we were chatting about bureaucracy and process and how some people just love to make things difficult and he exposed me to a personal campaign which he has called ‘Decomplexification’. (Which he admits is a word more easily attributed to George W. Bush than himself.)

John feels that there is a growing number of people and organisation that like to perpetuate the notion of complexity [Have you ever read the manual that comes with a mobile or laptop recently] and their mission in life is to confuse and mystify the rest of us mere mortals.

I remember participating in a meeting where a group of Civil Servants and Lawyers were tasked to write a guide titled ‘A Plain English Guide to the New Legislation’, can you imagine a group less qualified to write anything in plain English? They wrote the Guide and it was almost unintelligible!

So I’m with John and would encourage all readers to look around and where process is engineered or copy is written; in promotional material, on websites, in briefing notes or even Board Minutes, commit yourself to the principle of ‘decomplexification’.

Gareth

PS. I'm going to have a look at the APA website again this week to ensure I practice what I preach!

Creme - final reminder

Just to remind Members that the Times Creme Conference 2009, originally scheduled for 12-14 May 2009 (Today + 2), has been postponed until November. If you have paid for seminars in advance you will find a refund form - from its organisers - in earlier blogs.

APA

Politicians, Pay and Pampers

We have been asked the following question by several Members this week: “What is APA’s position on the ‘MP Expenses’ issue.”

Our reply was simple, ‘There is a clear conflict between what MPs claim, what they are allowed to claim and what the voting public find is acceptable for them to claim and therefore APA would encourage the Government to find a transparent, auditable and workable solution and introduce it within an acceptable period of time. APA would encourage those involved to start by revisiting the basic salary paid to Parliamentarians.’

Let me explain one fact that influences this thinking. In 2007 there was a survey of the salaries of the Chiefs Executive of the Top 5,000 businesses in the UK. The average of these was £750,000 per annum – we have heard recently the details of some of the highest ones. Now if you consider that the Prime Minster is Britain’s CEO (MD, UK plc) and he is paid £168,000 pa. then it seems very little for a hugely responsible job. Cabinet Ministers receive around £140K and backbench MPs just £70K.

APA believes that if we paid MPs a realistic salary, and I have met enough good ones to know that the responsibility, if the job is done correctly, is extremely onerous, then we wouldn’t be having this debate about claims for cat food and Kit Kats! If they wanted a flat in London and the lifestyle to go with it, then, if they earned enough, they could pay for it themselves.

We would also request one thing of our Politicians; Please don’t be pressurised (by the Press) to rush into a solution. Quick legislation is hardly ever good legislation. It is clearly a thorny subject and one that could be debated, agreed and enacted in time. The current situation has been in place for 20 years, what are another few months.

This is an issue that I doubt APA will be consulted on but I would welcome your views to inform the organisational opinion.

Gareth

Time to be sociable

APA is pleased to announce that it is taking another step into the world of PA Networking today; this time in a social environment with the PA Community (PAC) developed and launched by Carly Beales.

Colin Minto, Technology Director of APA said, “We recognise that many of our Members already participate in Twitter, Facebook, My Space and other social networks and we have been talking about a PA specific network for some time but have been concerned that the content may not align absolutely with our professional aspirations for the Associations site. We have therefore elected instead to participate (as a member only) in this non-competing and friendly activity. We hope that some of our Bloggers will take a look at PAC and participate if they think it is worthwhile – we do.”

To view and join PAC go to: http://personalassistants.ning.com/

APA

Technology – It can be straightforward!

There are some simple rules to follow when selecting a technology that will enable you to make the right decision and save your organisation an awful lot of pain when trying to implement and utilise it.

I have often been asked “What is the best software?”! I simply pointed them to a directory of software vendors and said it was in there, because one software will be great for one business and poor for another.

Without detailed criteria of what you need a technology to do and whether your colleagues will be able to use it effectively, you might as well stick a pin in the Yellow Pages.

So here are the rules:

1. Brainstorm exactly what you need a technology to do for your business and get input from everyone it will touch, or a representative from each department if this is not practicable - This will give you your specification list.

2. Discuss, agree and score each item on your specification list in order of importance – This will highlight the priorities to discuss with vendors.

3. Create a specification you can distribute to vendors and send it to as many as you like, inviting them to confirm they can provide a solution to satisfy your criteria but more importantly evidence they can satisfy it.

4. Separate responses into those that stick to your criteria and those that try and hoodwink you with all the bells and whistles you didn’t ask for – Invite vendors to present from the pile that stick to the criteria and, in your opinion, provide the most professional response.

5. Make sure all departments in the business are represented at the vendor presentations and instruct those presenting to clearly demonstrate how their solution satisfy’s your criteria and get them to evidence this. Also ensure you grill them on how user friendly their solution is and again provide evidence.

6. Choose two or three to go to the final stage, which is the quotation round – Invite them to submit their best price bearing in mind one or two others vendors are doing this as well and let each vendor know who they are up against.

7. Invite each vendor back in to run through their quotation and if necessary remove elements lower down your priority list to reduce cost even further.

In essence, do the hard work before choosing a technology because it is so much harder trying to make the wrong technology fit your organisation and operational needs.

Colin.

Charity business down

The current recession has seen a decline in charitable donations, new research shows.

Oxfam announced today donations to its shops are down by 12 per cent already this year, and claim a total of 1.2 million fewer donations could be made in 2009. At present, the charity claims more than 80 per cent of its total income from its shops comes from donations from the public of clothes, books, music, household wares and other goods.Oxfam suggests the fall in donations demonstrates wider trends resulting from the credit crunch with families tightening their belts and buying less, meaning they replace less and therefore have less to donate to charity shops. With the housing market in decline also, fewer people are moving house, which has seen a "huge" drop in donations of household items.

Oxfam's director of trading, David McCullough, said: "The £20 million profit made by our shops last year would be enough to fund all of Oxfam's work in DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia for a year. But we can't sell fresh air, and they of course rely on the generosity of the public for their stock. Without continued donations of everything from clothing to cookware, Oxfam shops could not continue to play such a key role in communities across the UK. Whether it's a pair of trousers or a pair of curtains, we can use it to make money and help people all over the world," he said.

APA Note – Why not spend some time this weekend sorting out the cupboards and drawers and taking those unwanted items along to your favourite Charity Shop. Or better still organise a company event and send the proceeds to the APA’s Charity of the Year – Breast Cancer Care.

Aimee Lewis FAPA

Times Creme - refunds

Thanks to TC we have located a refund form for anyone who has already paid to attend Creme seminars for the London 2009 Show, 12-14 May, now postponed until November.

To reclain please use the form below and fax it to the number shown.

http://www.exporeg.co.uk/reg/creme09/refreq_form.pdf

APA

Why giggling is good for you .. and your boss

From an article by Penny Stretton in the Daily Express 05/05/2009.

Having a laugh at work might be frowned upon by some bosses but research shows it can make employees healthier, happier and more productive. Giggling can boost our immune systems, lower blood pressure and help us cope with stress during the recession.

But despite the benefits, more than 30 per cent of workers admit to not having shared a laugh with their colleagues for more than a week.With million of Britons returning to work after the bank holiday weekend, there may seem little to giggle about. Economic gloom, worries about job security and grey skies are unlikely to lift many people’s spirits.

But a survey by Maltesers found that workers who laugh regularly take fewer days off sick, suffer less stress and are likely to be more creative. The power of a good giggle is so strong that 81 per cent of people say it makes them feel happier and 50 per cent feel stress-free afterwards.

It can even make people more attractive to the opposite sex. Six out of 10 people said prospective lovers who know how to get giggly are much more sexy than those who laugh less. Experts recommend a daily dose of at least 30 giggles a day to promote optimum health, performance at work and successful relationships. However, according to the study, adults often forget how to giggle as they grow older.

A Maltesers spokesman said: “Children laugh on average over 400 times a day. However this declines to an average of just 15 times a day for UK adults. To counteract the nation’s giggle gap, Maltesers has launched a campaign to help UK adults reach the recommended 30 giggles a day.”

Experts say there are some simple tricks to kick-start a giggling fit, such as spending more time around friends and family. Smiling more also helps to boost laughter levels, as does looking for humour in everyday situations. And health psychologist David Moxon said: “Spend time with other gigglers – giggling is very contagious, so stop to enjoy light-hearted moments throughout the day".

Gareth has a very wacky sense of humour and he often makes himself laugh, what about your bosses?

Shelley.

Times Creme 2009 - Postponed

The Times Creme Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for 12-14 May 2009 has been postponed until November.

In an announcement today organisers have said "Unfortunately, due to the current economic climate and in the best interests of the show, it has been decided to postpone this year's show until 17th - 19th November 2009. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

APA was aware from Members that many would be unable to attend and this appears to be a sensible decision.

Gareth

Controlling credit in difficult times

Many businesses are struggling with cash flow difficulties in these taxing times. Sound credit management is especially critical in a recession and every employee has a responsibility to keep a tight grip on the collection of debts (and the payment of your own bills).

We have heard from Philip King, Director General of the Institute of Credit Management, whose expertise is regularly called upon in the current economic climate, offering advice to APA Members. He has identified two ICM websites that he feels could really help businesses to manage their cash flow and thought APA Members should be made aware – Philip and his PA, Tracy FAPA, have experienced countless companies where cash flow difficulties have led to enormous stress and worry and they know PAs are very often at the front line; and therefore see and hear the worries of their Managers/Directors.

The ICM provides a comprehensive range of nationally recognised awards and qualifications which range from Level 2 to Level 5 and can really help with credit management education and training. APA’s advice is that PAs be aware of ICM and its expertise it offers in this area should you start to see difficulties arising. Please direct senior staff (especially those with financial responsibility) to the following sites:

http://www.icm.org.uk

http://www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk

Philip has written 10 Managing Cashflow Guides in association with BERR which are incredibly useful and can be downloaded free from:

http://www.creditmanagement.org.uk/berrguides.htm

APA

Dark chocolate is better for you!

Brain changes in chocoholics that occur when they see or eat chocolate are similar to those in addicts when they take drugs, scientists say. British researchers at Oxford University found certain regions of the brain were more active when people who confessed to cravings were fed or shown pictures of chocolate than in non-cravers.

They also discovered the sight of chocolate contributed significantly to the activation of brain areas associated with reward – suggesting that dieters could cut their intake by avoiding the sight of foods they particularly desire.

Prof Edmund Rolls said: "Understanding individual differences in brain responses to very pleasant foods helps in the understanding of the mechanisms that drive the liking for specific foods and thus intake of those foods. Sight and flavour combined give a much bigger response than seeing or tasting the food separately. The sight component is important and complements the flavour. If you want to limit [food] intake, you could limit the extent to which you are exposed to the combination of sight and taste. For example, you could eat in the dark."

Don't you just love research! I assume volunteers to join the project are plentiful [or plenty full].

Gareth

Are you a procrastinator?

Procrastination - putting things off - is said to be 'the thief of time' but in reality is a common, natural, human reaction to tasks that may seem in some way difficult or challenging. However, severe procrastination that leads to feelings of wretchedness or extreme anxiety may need addressing. For PAs it is a negative trait and must be overcome at all costs. Here are the signs to watch for:

Procrastinators tend to:

• Find it difficult to make a start - ‘I’m waiting till I’m in the right mood/inspired’,


• Create diversions – ‘before I start, I’ll just..tidy up/check my emails/have a snack/etc.’,


• Waste time by working ineffectively – ‘I spent time on the task but have nothing to show for it’,


• Rush at the last minute – ‘I work better under pressure’,


• Miss deadlines – then feel guilty, disappointed and reproachful.

Commonly procrastination is mistakenly perceived as laziness. Essentially, however, procrastination is caused by inner conflict where there is a want (or need) to do something, matched with a corresponding resistance to doing it. Energy to prepare to act and then to execute the act does not ‘flow’ so there is inaction and then conflict leading to frustration and failure.

It can be overcome with determination and strong support from those around you - a good tip if you think this is you is to come clean, admit your failing and ask for assistance from your Boss or a colleague.

Carly FAPA

APA Members can visit the Knowledge Zone in the Members area f the website for a more detailed explanation and some tips on what to do to over procrastination.

Entrepreneurs don't fear failure!

One of the things that differentiate an entrepreneur from other mortals is their willingness to take a (calculated) risk. Without risk there is no gain and without gain, no profit. So in entrepreneurial business risk is inevitable.

Strong business planning enables them to define the risks, assess them and develop strategies to defend against them but risks will always be ‘just around the corner’. The risk of business that fuels entrepreneurs is the same adrenalin rush that fuels racing drivers, sky divers and all great adventurers. Sometimes things go wrong and the car (or business) slams head first into a wall at 180 mph.

So a PA (as the front seat passenger) to an entrepreneur has a special responsibility to understand what makes her or his Boss tick; what the risks are, so they can recognise when their Boss is pushing boundaries and when they should keep a special eye on the road ahead to watch for upcoming obstacles.

Great entrepreneurs; like Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Ray Kroc and others, are the Masters of Risk but they temper their own high risk tendencies by packing good business professionals around them. All have a loyal and hard working professional PA alongside them on the journey.

And remember: Most really great entrepreneurs have failed in the past, maybe even more than once, but they have learned from their mistakes and moved on (picked them selves up, dusted them selves off and started all over again). Failure to an entrepreneur is an occupational hazard.

Gareth

What a woman can do ... on the board

Written by Mark Leftly of the Independent (Business Section) Sunday 26th April 2009

David Gold clearly knew what he was doing in more ways than one when he made his daughter, Jacqueline, chief executive of his naughty lingerie and sex shop chain, Ann Summers.

According to research this weekend by legal consultant Employment Law Advisory Services (Elas), having at least one woman on a board reduces the risk of a business failing by more than 20 per cent. Also, more than 80 per cent of companies with women on their boards are optimistic about surviving the recession in good shape.

Apparently, women executives are more frugal, responsive and flexible.

Peter Mooney, the head of consultancy at Elas, said: "Our research shows that firms with women in the boardoom achieve a 10 per cent higher return on capital than those firms run entirely by men. Time and again, we see women directors doing well within their sectors."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/showing-what-a-woman-can-do-on-the-board-1674155.html

I know we have members of the male persuasion, but I liked this article.

Shelley

Are you calm under pressure?

Let's face it, we are all under pressure. Finances, family, work and social life can all take a toll on the brain and body. And that's just everyday stress. Additional factors such as an exorbitant repair bill, an unexpected illness or the random individual who has made it his life's work to push your buttons, can wreak havoc on the nervous system. But learning to cope with these situations by staying calm, can keep you in control and avoid the pitfalls associated with acting on emotion.

In a recent APA survey 'Calmness under Pressure' was considered the second most important attribute present in the armoury of a PA.

Do you feel under pressure in your job, your life or your relationships. In the latest of its Knowledge Zone series APA has just published a series of tips for PAs to help them increase their own calmness and how to help others around them.

Gareth

Photograph: As a former professional pilot myself I admire enormously the recent performance of Capt. Chesney "Sully" Sullenberger who, under enormous pressure landed his aircraft on the Hudson River without loss of life. Not only a hero but a Master of his Art.

Members should go to the Knowledge Zone in the website for more information.

Another Pandemic Alert

PAs like Scouts and Guides should always be prepared. News of the new pandemic developing in Mexico and already reported to have hit the US and possibly even the UK could create a problem for businesses. After the last round of Avian Flu, UK Government created a website specifically for advice and updates and it is definitely worth keeping tabs on. See the link below.

It is well worth business leaders thinking through a strategy to protect employees, including having the whole workforce vaccinated (at private expense if necessary), ahead of it becoming a national emergency.

Please see: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/piayplanningtips_eng.html

APA

Who wants to be a Billionaire?

The recession has wiped £155 billion from the fortunes of Britain’s richest 1,000 people, equivalent to more than a third of their wealth, a fact revealed in the 2009 Sunday Times Rich List, published today, and is the biggest annual fall since it was first compiled 21 years ago. The number of UK based billionaires has fallen from 75 to 43. The Rich List’s combined wealth adds up to £258.27 billion, compared with £412.8 billion last year.

The UK’s biggest loser is steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal who has seen £16.9 billion evaporate as a result of the collapse of the world steel market this year. Now worth £10.8 billion, Mittal remains the richest person in Britain. Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich’s surviving £7 billion (down 40%) makes him second richest and the Duke of Westminster is the richest Briton and continues to occupy third position overall with a fortune of £6.5 billion.

Sir Richard Branson is reported to have a diminishing £1.2 billion (down 56%) and Sir Ken Morrison of supermarket fame has bucked the trend and seen his fortune increase to £1.6 billion.
Tim Waterstone, founder of the Waterstone’s bookshop chain attacked the recent announcement of a 50p tax band and described it as a “disincentive to entrepreneurs”.

What will the next year bring?

Gareth

The logo used above is that of the UK Entrepreneurs Club - it could be worth PAs checking it out for their Boss.

Open Planning

The first time you move into an open plan office you may find the environment confusing, disabling or downright scary. If you have been used to working in a cell, then moving to a cellular office can appear overpowering and for some it is one freedom too far.

In the open plan office, you co-workers are more accessible. There is the opportunity for more open communication. However, there are some things that make this layout less than ideal. Some of those things are beyond an individual’s control, but there are some things you can do to make life easier for them and for those around you.

APA has written, with external guidance, a useful guide for those who manage an open plan office or employ people and deploy them for the first time into this type of arena. If you don’t have a guide it may prove a useful addition to your staff handbook.

Carly FAPA

APA Members can download a copy from the Knowledge Zone of the Members area of the website.

Even the mighty stumble

Microsoft sales fell this year for the first time in the company's 23-year history. Sales revenue for the three months ending in March was down six per cent to $13.65 billion (£9.33 billion) compared with the same period last year.

Microsoft has grown to be the biggest software company in the world, due largely to the popularity of its Windows operating system. These somewhat predictable results reflect cautious consumer spending as the global recession worsens rather than any failing on the company's part. Overall profit fell 32 per cent to $2.98 billion (£2 billion), with the falling sales compounded by $290 million (£198 million) paid out in severance packages after the Company announced 5,000 job cuts in January this year, 1,400 of which were lost immediately.

Microsoft confirmed that despite the results, they still planned to release the Windows 7 system in the next financial year.

APA

No green shoots just yet

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reversed its forecasts for the world economy, predicting a 1.3 per cent fall in 2009, rather than the 0.5 per cent growth it initially predicted in January. The IMF believes the UK economy will fall by 4.1 per cent in 2009, and another 0.4 per cent in 2010, contrary to the chancellor's predictions in the Budget.

As a result, unemployment in the UK is set to rise to 9.2 per cent by the end of next year.But the IMF figures show other countries will be affected even more seriously, with Germany, Japan and Italy all forecasted to see their economies shrink by 5.6, 6.2 and 4.4 per cent respectively.

The IMF calls this downturn "by far the deepest post-World War II recession". It says the UK recession will be "quite severe" because "it is being hit by the end of the boom in real estate and financial services". It does however suggest the world economy will grow in 2010 by an estimated 1.9 per cent.

Gareth

Light Relief

A bit of trivia I found recently and may serve as an antedote to the Budget!

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do. Polar bears are left handed.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s gum.

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

Shelley

Budget 2009 - APA overview

This was a most uninspiring Budget with the Chancellor attempting little more than to tinker around the edges of all the usual areas of activity. In the current economic environment it is not surprising that this is a financially taxing rather than a giving budget and this is witnessed most by the introduction of the 50% tax band for those earnings over £150,000. APA believes this is excessive, penal and unlikely to inspire the owners of small businesses at a time when the investment and risk associated with the operation of a small enterprise is at its highest. Increased fuel tax duties will also burden smaller businesses.

But there are some positives, APA supports the Chancellor's focus on jobs in the Budget and does see this as a boost to small businesses that now sustain and create the majority of jobs in the UK economy. Any incentives here are welcomed. All businesses will welcome the temporary increase in the main rate of capital allowances and the exemption for foreign dividends. We are pleased that the temporary right to carry back losses for three years is being continued, as well as the scheme to make it easier for businesses to agree time to pay tax liabilities. These measures will be particularly useful for small businesses.

APA

APA Members can read more by going to the knowledge Zone in the Members area of the website @ www.paprofessional.com

Profits soar for Tesco

The supermarket chain Tesco has reported underlying annual pre-tax profits of £3.13bn, an improvement of 10% on the previous year. Its sales topped £1bn a week for the first time with group sales coming in at £59.4bn. Chief Executive of Tesco, Sir Terry Leahy said that he was confident the retailer would "continue to make good progress even in the current global economic environment". The profits are the highest on record for a UK retailer.

So what do PAs think? Tesco is certainly getting bigger but is it getting better? Is one-stop shopping the answer to town centre parking issues and grumpy shopkeepers or are we missing out on choice and high quality? Share your views with us.

Gareth

DNA - PA

I work for a pharmaceutical company and am amazed daily by the things that cross my desk and people explain to me. Only last week I spotted another ground-breaking announcement.

“Once upon a time, researchers knew that DNA contained four nucleotides: A, T, C and G. Then they found a fifth. And now they've found a sixth. The discovery helps to explain why species with very similar genetics can be so different. Humans and chimpanzees famously share 96 per cent of their DNA. The newly discovered nucleotide, called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, like its forerunner, helps turn genes on and off, but in ways that researchers didn't expect.”

The truly amazing thing about science is that, ‘we don’t know what we don’t know until someone discovers it.’ Think about that for a minute and ask yourself what has been invented or discovered over the last 100 years that has change our lives for the better; Unravelling DNA has to offer the greatest advance for the future (D), Penicillin has changed the treatment of illnesses (D), the aeroplane has changed the way we travel (I), the computer has changed the way we do business and live our lives (I) and microwaves have changed cooking and communication. The pace of knowledge is growing exponentially. What don’t you know today that you will know tomorrow?

Just a thought!

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

Ahead of the Budget - who knows?

The Government could defer several of the tax increases it announced for 2010 and 2011 due to the deepening recession, according to chartered accountants MacIntyre Hudson.

In the pre-Budget report in Novemeber, the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, announced it would raise the income tax band for staff on a salary of more than £150,000 for 40% to 45% by 2010 but Patrick King, tax principal at MacIntyre Hudson, explains Darling could postpone the increases, but announce steeper tax rises in future years to finance government borrowing.
King said: "In November Darling announced a fiscal stimulus for 2009, with tax rises starting to kick in from April 2010. At the time he was forecasting the economy would return to growth by mid-2009. He has already conceded this forecast was wide of the mark, and his Budget is likely to predict Britain will remain in recession for the whole of this year, and possibly into early 2010.

"Even if the UK sees growth in 2010, it is likely to be unsteady and anaemic at best. Against this backdrop, the tax rises already announced for 2010 and 2011 will take money out of the economy at a time when it will still be weak, a policy that both the chancellor and the prime minister have previously set themselves against."

APA

Treat me kindly

Hi APA Bloggers,

Well I have to say it's brill to have the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. I have been set up today (thanks to Colin) and had my instructions from Gareth and am ready to go. And so this is my first APA blog.

I have just watched Supernanny USA and heard a fab phrase that really made me laugh, the Mother shouted at one of her kids, who was bullying her younger sister, "Don't torture the Hamster!" It made me think about a recent incident in the office and how one of our juniors was under considerable pressure from others, especially one Manager who was setting the pace. We had to take drastic action and moved the Manager - eventually out of the business.

I hate bullying and wondered if others had good solutions to stop it which we could all share.

Aimee Lewis FAPA

First Puppy lands book deal

For all those who, like me, thought Bo Obama was definitely ‘one-to-watch’, you will not be surprised to learn that the newest resident of the White House, is already to star in his own children's book. Despite having lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for only a matter of days, a Virginia publisher has already pounced on the opportunity and announced Bo's first book.

Mascot Books has confirmed that Bo: America's Commander in Leash by Naren Aryal and illustrated by Danny Moore is expected to be in stores next week. The book features Bo enjoying a series of adventures, including stealing the president's letter opener, playing on Sasha and Malia Obama's swing set and pouring green dye into the White House fountain on St Patrick's Day - as well as serving unsuspecting vice president Joe Biden a burger. This comes in the wake of President Obama and his wife announcing earnings of $2.66 million (£1.78 million) last year, the majority of which was earned through President Obama's two books.

So Bo is the first real dog in modern times to turn into a cash cow and Mascot Books has given us all the perfect demonstration of seeing and seizing an innovative opportunity. Well done to them!

Gareth

Hopeless times for home owners

Falling house prices mean that two million households have either negative equity, or too little equity to finance a house move, lenders have said. Negative equity is the situation where someone's house has become worth less than their mortgage.

Research by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said two thirds of the 900,000 homes in negative equity had only a modest shortfall of less than 10%. But this is fewer than the 1.5 million estimated to have been in this position more than a decade and a half ago. Of the households currently in negative equity, about 270,000 have a shortfall of between 10% and 20%, and about 30,000 have a shortfall of 20% or more. In those most extreme cases their negative equity amounts to an average £28,000 for first-time buyers and £37,000 for other home owners.

The CML carried out its research by looking at data supplied by its members. With house prices dropping by about 18% since the middle of 2007, the fall in prices has already outstripped the national price drop experienced during the early 1990s house price crash.

My PA in the mid-90’s had negative equity in her property and it place enormous pressure on her family circumstances. It was tough to watch and even tougher to live with.

Gareth

Time for a reality check.

Our intention when we launched the APA Debate was to create a platform to air some of the issues in the news, in government and in general that may be of interest to practicing professional PAs and to give them a forum to share their opinions, frustrations and successes. It's early days but the level of readership is impressive and the responses growing daily.

So, tell us how we are doing. Are there other subjects you would like us to address. Is the balance of the content OK; is it too casual and quirky or too straight laced. And does it add value and would you recommend it to other PAs in your business or your network of friends as a fun read? We would value your thoughts.

Gareth, for all at APA

CV Bloopers!

Monster, the employment website, reminds us just how important it is to make sure we check, double check and even triple check our CV before sending it to a potential employer. Here are a few notable howlers from its own experience

· As a security guard it is my duty to pervert unauthorised people.
· My job involves processing clams.
· My interests including cooking dogs and interesting people.
· I was responsible for dissatisfied customers.
· In my roll I didn’t have lunch.
· My role included coaching and mentioning.
· I am a prooficient typist.
· I left my last four jobs because the managers were completely unreasonable managers


Hopefully I haven't made any mistakes like these above, although there were jobs I never got an interview for... I wonder, Shelley

Excess costs kill business

There is one outstanding business truism coming loud and clear from this year’s series of ‘The Apprentice’ and Sir Alan Sugar is right to keep banging it home: Managing costs mobilises profit.

Contrary to what Finance Directors would have you believe … business financial management is very, very simple! There are only three fundamental variables; Sales less Cost of Sales = Gross Profit, GM less Overheads = Net Profit. Crude maybe but none-the-less true. And life’s exactly the same. If you always have one eye on the balance of this simple equation as a business leader then you should survive. And I believe a PA should be as equally well versed in reading a Profit and Loss statement as his/her Boss.

In any project, like the one in last night’s show, where the two teams were charged to created and sell toiletries for profit, once the mistake had been made (which Nick Hewer pointed out at the end of Day One) then the team should have quickly focused on the minimum price the product could be sold at to make money. It amazed me when they seemed surprised by their loss when it was announced in the Boardroom.

We have all seen great businesses, with great products, go broke and wondered why, well last night was the classic demonstration of commercial unreality.

Gareth