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How to clean your computer
To keep your computer running smoothly and to protect it from viruses and malware it is important to clean it regularly. In this blog post I offer some simple ideas to clean your computer. The post focuses on Windows computers but the ideas can be adapted across computers, browsers, software and platforms.
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File naming conventions
When you open the file storage on your computer what do you see? Can you easily identify the file you need? Can you tell from the file name what the file is without opening it or whether it is the latest version of your file? If the answers to these questions are no, then you need…
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What you need to know about domain names
A domain name (also known as a website address or URL) is what someone types into a search engine to find a website. Every website has a unique domain name which enables the creation of an online presence and enables other internet users to find and contact the website owner.
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Communication preferences
Communication preferences are the ways that people choose to communicate and be communicated with. They influence how people express themselves, listen, respond and interpret and can vary depending on factors such as age, personality, disability, culture, context and mood. In this blog post I write about the reasons people may have particular communication preferences and why…
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Why you should never send financial, personal or sensitive information by email
Have you ever been asked to send financial, personal or sensitive information about yourself by email? It is something I have been asked to do many times and has now become something of a bugbear. Why? Fraudsters are becoming increasingly savvy — if you send financial, personal or sensitive information by email, there is a…
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Client briefs and why they are important
In business a client brief refers to a document that details the requirements of a project and the solution required. The word brief means a set of instructions given to a person about a job or task and to instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in preparation for a task. In this blog post I…
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Reasons to write a year in review blog post
A year in review is as an overview of events, milestones or accomplishments from the previous year which you want to celebrate or highlight to the outside world and an opportunity to summarise the year that has just passed. With the end of the year approaching, I thought it would be interesting to write a…
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Everything I Wish I’d Known About LinkedIn
Before I started my own business, I never gave much thought to LinkedIn. All that changed when I became a Virtual Assistant. For the first time in my life I no longer had an employer telling me what to do and paying me a regular sum of money. And while I had created a website,…
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Spreadsheets versus databases
Do you know your spreadsheets from your databases? This blog post aims to show the difference, the advantages and disadvantages and generally help you get to know your onions.
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Word processor wars: Microsoft Word versus Google Docs
For many years now Microsoft Word has been the go to word processor but there is a new kid in town. In May 2021 Jake Anbinder a PhD candidate in US history caused a storm on Twitter after tweeting ‘Gen Z just does not use Microsoft Word, period. When you ask them to submit .doc…
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A short guide to backing up
Have you ever lost an important document you created on your computer or had a moment of panic because you thought you had? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you will understand the importance of backing up the data on your computer. Hard drive fail, accidental deletion, natural disaster, theft, ransomware, malware, they…
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Questions for web designers
The importance of having a website today is indisputable but if you are not a website designer by trade, creating one from scratch can be a daunting task. In this blog post I draw on my experience of working as a web editor and advise on questions to ask a website designer before you employ…
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Managing emails
Do you often feel overwhelmed by emails? An inbox overflowing with old, unopened or unwanted messages can be both frustrating and stressful. While having a completely empty inbox is unrealistic, there are things we can all do to keep our inboxes organised, so here are my tops tips for keeping on top of unruly emails.
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Make do and mend: how to repurpose blog posts
Over the summer I decided to stop publishing new content on my blog for a time. For almost two years blog writing has been a big part of my strategy to promote the work I do. I have written about the services I provide as a virtual assistant, things I need to know about for…
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How to write a marketing strategy
Investopedia defines a marketing strategy as a business’s overall game plan for reaching prospective leads and turning them into customers. Much like a game of chess, marketing strategy is concerned with evaluation, positioning, control of key areas and setting goals. The word strategy comes from the Greek language (στρατηγία stratēgia) meaning ‘art of troop leader;…
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How to keep your website looking good
In a previous life, I worked as a web editor on a local government website, so for this blog post, I thought I would write about some of the ways you can keep your website looking good. My role involved writing, editing, proof reading and approving web pages prior to publication and educating people on…
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