Banks 'must lend more' in 2010

APA thoroughly supports a call made by the Federation of Small Business (FSB) in its New Year message for banks to return to their "normal lending criteria" and for more competition in the banking sector with additional lending from non-UK banks being made available to small firms.

"2010 must see the route to recovery," said FSB chairman John Wright. "Small businesses deserve a big vote of confidence and the sector in turn will return the compliment with jobs, guaranteeing a sustainable recovery. 2010 may be a general election year, but for small firms, it will be business as usual as they strive to complete the route from recession and back into recovery."

A Department for Business spokesman said: "We have extended the Enterprise Finance Guarantee for a further 12 months to encourage additional bank lending to viable smaller firms and announced that businesses will be able to continue to defer tax payments to help with cash flow as they prepare for growth. We are working with the FSB to offer up to 10,000 graduates a chance to boost their future employability through internships in small and micro businesses."

Dr. Gareth Osborne, APA Director General and a former member of the Government’s Small Business Council, is an outspoken champion for small business and believes that Government should heed FSB’s advice. “If just one in three small businesses employed one more person then the unemployment problem would be solved." he added.

APA

The Best of the Best

Congratulations go to the successful participants in the autumn round of the APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA). The challenging programme was delivered between October and December 2009 with final tests taking place in mid-December and results announced just before Christmas. The course attracted some of the countries best PAs from private and public sector backgrounds.

Participants enthused about the content; with everyone scoring the content and delivery as ‘excellent’, with over 75% feeling it would have an immediate impact on their effectiveness as a PA and the balance suggesting it would enhance their longer term career prospects. Everyone attending felt it had taken their knowledge of business management and direction to a new level.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA and one of the course tutors said, “The Diploma is not just another administrative course branded for PAs, this is a programme of dedicated knowledge, skills and tools for those genuinely in support of business leaders. The content is tailored to give better, stronger and more focused training for PAs and truly anchor them as ‘the power beside the throne’. We believe PAs are one of the most important assets in business today and they deserve the best and most relevant skills to reach their full potential.”

“The successful candidates can now us the prestigious designatory letters; DipPA, after their name.”

The next round of APA training programmes commence in January in London, Birmingham and Manchester. For further details go to: http://www.paprofessional.com/apa-training-and-qualifications-open-access.html

Or contact: training@paprofessional.com.

APA

Some movement at last in the labour market

The latest survey from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) shows positive signs for the UK’s labour market ahead of 2010. December’s Jobs Outlook reported that 22% of employers now say business is beginning to improve, compared to just 1% in September.

Commenting on the survey, REC’s Director of Research Roger Tweedy said:
"At last there is evidence that life is returning to the UK’s labour market. After several months of uncertainty it seems that firms are becoming more confident about their future hiring intentions. Although if previous recessions are anything to go by we would expect unemployment to continue to rise even after the economy returns to growth, this report shows positive signs that unemployment will not be as high as people predicted."

Jobs Outlook is based on a monthly sample survey of 600 employers undertaken by an independent market research company on behalf of the REC

Roger Tweedy concluded: "Whilst the labour market is still very fragile, the feedback from recruiters on the frontline suggests that it is becoming easier to place jobseekers into work. As the labour market becomes more fluid once more this in turn will create more vacancies".

APA agrees that greater fluidity in the labour market will help lubricate employment opportunities. It believes that the first three months of 2010 could be the perfect time to go ‘fishing’ if you are looking to change jobs. APA will release its own figures on PA employment trends in January 2010.

Gareth, APA.

A Chocoholic's Prayer at Christmas

Please grant me the serenity
to eat my chocolate gorgeously
and to savour its delight with glee
for I have no desire to change

Please grant me courage to acknowledge
that I am hopelessly attracted [addicted]
no matter how you count the calories
for I have no desire to change

Though deliver me from evil and save me from myself
just point me at the chocolate and let me scale the shelf
and wallow in its luxury
for I have no desire to change

Just a thought, as I pepare for the onslaught.

Aimme Lewis FAPA

Business costs set to rise in 2010

The cost of running a small business is set to increase in 2010 as a result of rising commodity prices, it has been reported. According to More Than's Business Inflation Guide, costs increased by 0.6 per cent during the third quarter of 2009 and this trend is likely to be continued into the new year.

The guide found that 12 of the 20 most important expenditure items for small companies rose in price during Q3 2009. While outgoings may be set to rise, More Than Business said the results were positive in the sense that they pointed towards an economic recovery. However they did note that it would be extremely important for company owners to manage cash flow carefully as suppliers begin to push prices up again.

The Confederation of British Industry has predicted this week that the UK economy is set to emerge from recession during the final quarter of the year. The business organisation said growth would be restored to the economy by the end of 2009, but a rapid economic recovery was highly unlikely.

APA

They're behind you!

If you are planning or participating in a Panto this year the following information may be of value to you. And it comes from the 'Wicked Auntie' herself - the Department of Business Innovation & Skills.

They suggest that Health and Safety rules were blamed when pantomimes stopped throwing out sweets, some years back, to the audience. The reality is In fact that organisers were worried about the cost of compensation if anyone got hurt. [They were obviously throwing bulls-eyes]

If you're unsure about an event you're organising, you might want to talk to your insurer to check that you've got the right cover and you've managed any risks effectively. It can help to make sure that trivial risks don't cause too much concern.

Realistically, if a panto throws out sweets the chances of someone being seriously hurt is incredibly low says BIS. "It's certainly not something HSE worries about - as far as we're concerned, this is a case of "Oh yes you can!"

APA

Add Sugar and Stir

Lord Sugar has reaffirmed his commitment to helping small businesses in the UK, following recent controversy over his comments about the health of the sector. The Enterprise Tsar was accused of likening many small company bosses to "moaners" who "live in Disneyland", in light of their complaints over a lack of bank lending.

Speaking to the Forum of Private Business (FPB), the Amstrad founder said he had been misquoted following a speech in Manchester last month. However, he reiterated his view that many of the complaints about a lack of business credit are not justified, claiming that very few of the cases he had been made aware of were "genuine horror stories".

Lord Sugar stated: "The majority were cases where it wouldn't have been right for the bank to lend in the first instance, owing to things like having a poor business case, a lack of security or simply unrealistic expectations.The government has always made it clear that it only expects banks to lend to viable businesses. Inappropriate lending in a large part precipitated the global financial crisis."

He noted that while the banks want to do business, they expect sound business cases to be put before them. FPB chief executive Phil Orford said he applauded Lord Sugar for taking the time to address his critics, although questioned whether the peer fully appreciated the financial problems being experienced by many small businesses.

APA

Forecasts for the UK economy

At this time of year many CEOs turn their attention to the ‘New Year State-of-the-Nation’ presentation they make annually to their staff, shareholders and external observers. I have done it many times myself and have often found myself at a loss to locate current economic data to use as the foundation for my opinion.

So, when your Boss asks you to track down the latest financial predictions, where do you go? Here are just a couple of suggestions to make his/her life easier.

HM Treasury http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/data_forecasts_index.htm

Bank of England http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/fsr/2009/index.htm

Gareth, APA

PA as a stress manager

Business owners should take control of their lives and focus on the positive aspects of it to avoid stress, it has been reported. According to the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), excessive amounts of pressure can lead to the development of severe stress.

Ann McCracken, chair of ISMA, was commenting after a report by the Young Foundation found that one in four people in the UK experience mental health problems at some point in their lives. The number of prescriptions for anti-depressant drugs increased from nine million in 1991 to 34 million in 2007, the group reported

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA said, “A better solution is to employ or train your PA to help manage the daily mental pressure on his/her Boss. This is one of the techniques we teach on the APA Diploma in Personal Assistance (DipPA) programme and it can greatlt reduce stress and associated problems.”

“It is about taking responsibility for the workload and how they can interface with their Boss to limit stressful occurrences, de-stress them when pressure rises through breaks for exercise, useful and nourishing food and taking time out to cool down. Like all things, its about forward planning and changing behaviour patterns, how you think and finding ways to approach things differently."

For more information on stress management or the APA Diploma in Personal Assistance contact training@paprofessional.com

Gareth, APA

Business confidence rising as year ends

Business confidence in Britain has hit a two-year high, new research has indicated. The Lloyds TSB Business in Britain survey found that 21 per cent of firms are now expecting an upturn in sales over the next six months - up from just one per cent half a year ago.

The overall confidence index rose to 16 per cent - a significant increase on the record low of -32 per cent at this point in 2008.

Commenting on the statistics, George Derbyshire, chief executive of NFEA, the national enterprise network, said it was "great" to see there is much more optimism around. And he suggested that many business owners believed the recession could have been far worse for them than it actually has. He feels that businesses have been cushioned from the effects seen in previous recessions because interest rates have remained extraordinarily low and the weakness of the pound has helped people who are exporting.

He also noted that a "responsible view to employment" has benefited both companies and employees - with flexible working practices preventing firms from being forced to make redundancies. A point APA thoroughly endorses.

Latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics showed that the unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent for the three months to August 2009, up 0.3 per cent on the previous quarter and 2.1 over the year. So there is still some way to go but a little more hope for a happy new year.

Gareth, APA.

The last act of a dying Giant!

Britain was once rightly proud of its national flag carrier; British Airways, but today’s announcement that Cabin Crew will walk out for 12 days over Christmas must be its final death gasp. Even its ever chirpy CEO, Willie Walsh, must be reaching for the light switch as the last man leaves the building.

If the strike goes ahead BA will destroy the holiday plans of nearly 1 million passengers and will spark a scramble for tickets on rival airlines as they are forced to find alternative means of completing their journeys.

Cabin crew announced the strike dates at a highly charged meeting of Unite union members at Sandown racecourse this afternoon following a ballot of staff over changes to staff numbers and budgets.

If BA management and Unite representatives fail to reach a compromise agreement over the next week, the walkout will deal a crippling financial and reputational blow to the airline. BA is already set to lose £600m in the current year and this after posting a record loss of £401m in the 12 months to March 2009.

The Giant is already on its knees, watching others fly overhead. Will it be Unite or its members that deliver the final kick in the undercarriage for a once great airline?

Gareth, APA

Christmas rape danger!

Women heading out for Christmas drinks have been warned by police not to make themselves easy prey for rapists. Senior officers in England and Wales warned of the risks as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) launched a campaign to raise awareness.

Poster, radio and TV advertisements will urge women to "let your hair down, not your guard", while warning men, "Rape: short word, long sentence."

Many forces record an increase in sex attacks over the festive period. It comes as thousands of people head to pubs, bars and clubs and it is thought that alcohol plays a part in two thirds of all rape cases. In the City there has been a rise in reported cases of rape over December and January in recent years. Last Thursday the head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Stephenson, said reported rape in London had risen by 25%.

The police campaign aims to raise awareness of a number of steps women can take to protect themselves and tells men of the need to seek consent for sex. Cheshire Chief Constable Dave Whatton, said: "Ultimately we want to prevent rape from occurring in the first place, by arming potential victims with key advice on how to keep themselves safe. But we are also aware of the sad reality that many victims of rape remain silent."

He urged victims to come forward and report attacks, pointing out that there were specialist agencies available to provide support. Tackling rape remains a difficult issue for senior officers who are struggling to drive up a conviction rate of 6.5%.

A government review, led by Baroness Stern, is currently examining how to improve the treatment of rape victims and raise the conviction rate. APA is in discussion with the Department concerned and feels that it should strongly support the call for action given the high number of young, professional, business women in membership; who are often required to be at work late into the evening.

APA

Pre-budget nerves

APA looked quizzically at an announcement today by Gordon Brown that the government will slash consultancy and marketing costs to help halve the budget deficit. And this only two days before Labour updates its tax, spending and borrowing plans.

The government faces pressure from markets and voters to give a credible plan to cut a deficit set to top 12 percent of gross domestic product this year. A windfall tax on bankers' bonuses and other possible measures on the wealthy could be on the cards in December's pre-budget report as Labour tries to set a clear dividing line between itself and the Tories. The Conservatives have said they will take an axe to public service costs to cut debt faster than Labour without harming frontline services such as health and education.

APA believes that plans outlined by both main party would do little to dent the record budget deficit and believe that big tax rises and a very sharp squeeze on spending will have to take effect whoever wins the next election.

The Prime Minister outlined an extra 3 billion pounds in savings over four years through cutting advisory budgets and embracing new technologies such as the Internet -- on top of 9 billion pounds of planned efficiencies announced earlier.

Gareth Osborne of APA said, “The government has a sad and sorry history when it comes to embracing technology; almost every contract for development has come in late, over budget and below expectation on its performance. Adding financial necessity to the equation will only add to the risk and limit the return.”

Gareth, APA

Compliance Costs!

Small business owners spend more time dealing with employment law issues than any other administrative task, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

The FPB's cost of compliance survey found that employment law outranked health and safety and tax when it came to time-consuming administration, with small business owners spending an average of 37 hours per month dealing with employment-related legal concerns. According to the study, small businesses spend £259 million per year on work associated with dismissals and redundancy. A further £391 million is spent on absence control and management, £237 million is spent on maternity, £333 million on disciplinary issues and £1,175 million on holidays and any other remaining aspects of employment legislation.

"Like the FPB, we are lobbying government to create a regulatory environment better suited to stability and growth for small businesses and employment legislation is definitely one area needing significant attention," said APA Director General Gareth Osborne. “Over regulation has stifled employment rather than enabled it and businesses are far less likely to employ additional staff and solider-on with existing resources. We need to ease these burdens as the market improves or small business will remain recruitment phobic.”

According to a study by employment law firm Peninsula, almost half of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises were afraid of disciplining staff for fear of being sued.

Gareth, APA

The Art of Compromise

What an anti-climax! After months of speculation and the chance to elevate Europe to a politically effective level, compromise wins the day as usual.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy will become President of the European Council and our own Baroness Cathy Ashton, formerly a Labour Party member of the British House of Lords and latterly EU trade commissioner, will be the foreign policy representative (whatever that means). But who has heard of them? I had to go to my copy of DOD’s Parliamentary Companion to find out anything; hardly a great endorsement for allegedly high office. So what do these choices tell us about the EU's alleged ambitions?

It shows just how difficult progress is to achieve in the face of competing interests and where a principle of comprise demands a particularly low level of achievement. It also shows us that despite rhetoric for a stronger Europe many of the bigger personalities of Europe (Sarkozy, Merkel and Brown) don’t want to be out shone on the world stage. But you also have to consider that Mr Van Rompuy is a well known Federalist and his appointment must send up a flare to suggest that European integration is far from over

APA already works closely with the EU, European Commission and MEPs and will continue to keep watching brief on the situation as it develops. As always, Members views are welcome.

Gareth, APA

Mums rock!

Members will be aware that we have recently put our sales force of Regional Membership Executives (RMEs) on the road to boost APA membership still further. But most will not know that we recruited them via a great website called Working Mums (www.workingmums.co.uk) . Not only did they do a great job for us, but the quality of applicants (all ex-PAs) was outstanding.

I have kept in touch with Working Mums and they have just launched a great 2-4-1 initiative for businesses looking to recruit at the year end. If you advertise with them in November but need more time to find your ideal candidate, they will keep your advert on their site for an additional month at (no extra cost). And they may make your role a 'Featured Job of the Day' on their homepage.

You can advertise for only £99.95 (4 weeks advertising and entry into job directory) and potentially save £129.95 on your recruitment advertising (offer ends 30th November 2009).

I thought this was worth sharing with you. If you make a booking, remember to mention that APA sent you!

Gareth, APA

Visit their site for more details. APA makes this independant endorsement without reward or inducemment.

Dragon's eye view

APA's recent Business Leaders Survey has attracted considerable interest and reaction and it was good to hear from Charlotte (PA to successful Entrepreneur and Dragons' Den participant Deborah Meaden) who gave us the following quote from her Boss:

"It comes as no surprise that in a [APA] survey of 5000 businesses, leaders agreed that having a PA increased their effectiveness significantly. A well organised PA who understands goals and priorities is constantly making decisions on which information and contacts are passed through and what appointments are made. This becomes particularly pertinent when the Boss is regularly out of the office and the importance of having a co-ordinator anchored at the base is paramount. I suspect that bosses who do not believe that having a PA improves their own performance either has the wrong PA or has not yet learnt the benefits of utilising them fully."

Our thanks to Deborah for the quote and to Charlotte for sending it to us. Obviously a great team!

Gareth, APA

Age Discrimination

I was at a business breakfast meeting last week and the keynote speaker was, as usual, extremely inspirational. One thing he said (or more correctly said and attributed to a prominent Politician) hit home and persuaded me to think a little more seriously about it. He said:

"The problem with society today is that we treat children like adults [pause for effect] and adults like children."

Now I don't wish to sound too pompous (or old) but I do believe the result of years of social miscalculation has led to a number of common concerns; everything from the impatience and associated aggression in young children (who seem to grow up far too quickly) to the pampered excesses of the 'Nanny State'.

What do you think?

Gareth, APA

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

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