#virtualassistant

The Office Elf

2 days ago
1 min

Let’s talk Project management software!

As a VA, you have to adapt constantly to the tools your clients are using. I find this part of the job one of the most interesting as you’re always learning: new software, platform or app. Today I’ll focus on Monday.com (no sponsored link here, just a tool I really like and that I’ve been using for quite some times now through one of my customer). Monday.com appears to me as an complete solution for most of the support I’m offering as it covers project management, CRM (to a

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The Office Elf

Jan 25
1 min

Tip#3 - Think 5R’s

A good way to reduce your waste is to keep in mind the 5R’s: Refuse - leaflets (in shops, in the mail - put a “No junk mail” sticker on your mailbox), freebees, plastic bags... Reduce - waste, use of single use plastics, unnecessary clothing... Reuse or repair - what you already have, think about borrowing before buying... Recycle, Rot, put a compost bin or a worm farm in your home, it’s even possible indoor (https://www.thespruce.com/tips-for-indoor-composting-2539618). If y

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The Office Elf

Jan 18
1 min

Is it OK to look back?

A few weeks ago, I have shared that the present moment is all you have. Of course, I still agree with myself (and no, that’s not a given 😊), but I must admit that I sometimes like to look back and see how far I have come. A few years ago, I left France. It took me a while to accept that I could still offer high standard admin and accounting services in another language. I doubted myself for a long time, always applying for supporting position rather than managing ones etc. A

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The Office Elf

Jan 11
1 min

Tip#2 - Explore your bin!

There is way to reduce our waste, but first you need to get to know your rubbish! For a week or two, write down or take pictures of everything you put in your bins (general waste AND recycling). Food packaging? Left overs? Single use items? Plastic/glass/cardboard?... Once you know what your main source of waste is, you can try to find an alternative for it. Share it here and we will find a way to reduce it! . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #women

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The Office Elf

Jan 4
1 min

Congruence check

Just before the end of the year, I’ve signed up for the “Extraordinary Life Course” from the Rebel School, excellent 5 weeks free course by the way, and one of my takeaways is the Congruence check. I’ve heard the word congruence before, but never quite managed to grasp its meaning. I’ve found the Rebel School definition really easy to understand: “Congruence is when your actions match your values, beliefs or identity”. So January being a time where most of us will set goals f

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The Office Elf

Jan 1
1 min

Here is this time of the year again!

Happy 2023! No resolutions for me this year except trying to remember this every day: “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart - Roy T. Bennett” What about you? New year’s resolution? Yes? No? . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #womeninbusiness #newyear #2023 #everythingispossible

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The Office Elf

Dec 21, 2022
1 min

Merry Christmas!

The Office Elf will be closed from the 23rd of December until the 9th of January. And I’ll be completely unplugging for a well deserve holidays, so I see you all next year! I’m hoping to work on some new exciting products for the new year, but also go for walks, watch some Christmas movies and enjoy some down time with my loved ones. What about you? What does your holidays look like? . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #womeninbusiness #christmas #do

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The Office Elf

Dec 14, 2022
1 min

Happy!

It is always nice to get such positive feedback on your work, and it can sometime reveal impacts that you don’t know you have on your customers. This made my day! “The Office Elf is efficiency personified, with a calming demeanour that makes you feel great about getting things done. Our business life is genuinely improved with The Office Elf involved – Andrew Howard – CSX Carbon” . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #womeninbusiness #administration #

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Your Zero-Waste Journey > Tip#1 - Get some information!

The Office Elf

Dec 7, 2022
1 min

Your Zero-Waste Journey > Tip#1 - Get some information!

In the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you tips to reduce your waste but first you might want to know what impact it can have. Reducing your waste and changing your consumption habits is also a way to fight climate change. The responsibility should not only be put on us, as customers, but we have the power to make bigger companies change by changing how, what and where we buy our food, our clothes, our electricity… Here are a few articles/documentaries you might want to have

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Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have – Eckhart Tolle

The Office Elf

Nov 30, 2022
1 min

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have – Eckhart Tolle

Because sometimes it’s good to take a step back and just be. Not much more to say, really. If you see this post, just consider that statement “the present moment is all you have”. If it doesn’t resonate with you but you’re curious and want to know more, I recommend “the Power of now” from Eckhart Tolle. What about you? Have you got a favourite quote that help you to stay focus on what is important to you? . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #womeninb

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The Office Elf

Nov 23, 2022
1 min

Emails management tips

Dedicate time to process your emails. It’s easy to get carried away as emails keep coming in into your inbox, but try to work within a set timeframe to avoid losing your day in your inbox File or action! When you are processing your emails, the first question to ask is: is there any action for me? If yes, is it going to take me less than 2 minutes? Yes, then do it here and then. If not, file the email. I really like the following system, create 3 folders at the top of your in

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The Office Elf

Nov 16, 2022
1 min

Let’s talk marketing (again)!

I don’t know about you, and I already talked about it in a previous post, but marketing my business is not a thing I like to do. Finding ideas, what to talk about, how to market my business takes me a lot of time and energy. In October, I went to the Yorkshire Brand conference, and one of the speaker – Sophie Metcalfe founder of Your Marketing Doctor - was talking about marketing. I thought I’ll go and see, and I was so pleased I did. Sophie quickly and simply explained how t

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The Office Elf

Nov 9, 2022
1 min

How do you deal with stress? - Tip #3

Last month I was sharing another one of my tips to take a step back and relax when things get too much. As promised, here is my third relaxation tool: Come and play a memory game! Find a picture or an image with lots going on: a busy street, a festival, a crowded touristic attraction etc. Take a good at the picture for a few seconds Now, close your eyes and try to recreate the image in your head: the colours, the people, the buildings. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Give it a try a

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What is a Virtual Assistant and why would you need one?

The Office Elf

Nov 2, 2022
1 min

What is a Virtual Assistant and why would you need one?

Before starting The Office Elf, I’ve never heard of a Virtual Assistant or VA, so I thought I would clarify my vision of a VA. You can see me as your Executive Assistant who supports you on an ad-hoc basis for all your administrative and bookkeeping tasks, remotely, from my home in North Yorkshire. Think of any tasks that take you a lot of time but does not make your life any easier or grow your business, that’s what I do! You can outsource one-off tasks (project management,

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My “Unique Selling Point” – Part 2: Well-being at work

The Office Elf

Oct 26, 2022
2 min

My “Unique Selling Point” – Part 2: Well-being at work

As promised in a post dated back from January (God, time flies!) - My “Unique Selling Point” – Part 1: Carbon Literacy Project, let’s talk about Well-being at work. I have left many companies in the past 10 years, mainly because I was only working on short-term contracts to allow me to travel the world and gain as many experiences as possible. And then, one day I left another job to set up my own business. The last “joke” of the director to me was: “When you fail, you can com

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The Office Elf

Oct 21, 2022
1 min

Happy Birthday to The Office Elf!

Today I'm celebrating 1 year of activity as The Office Elf! And I don't know where these 12 months have gone! It's been a year full of ups and downs, discovery, exploration, and I'm looking forward to what Year 2 has in stock for me! What about you? Is there anything you would like to celebrate today? If you want to know more about The Office Elf, discover who I am on this article! . . . . #virtualassistant #virtualassistantuk #sustainability #womeninbusiness #administration

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The Office Elf

Oct 12, 2022
1 min

How do you deal with stress? Tip #2

Last month I was sharing one of my tips to take a step back and relax when things get too much. As promised, here is my second relaxation tool: the 4-7-8 Breathing technique. Find a comfortable seat, somewhere quiet if possible. Stand with your spine straight, and take a deep exhale. With your tongue placed against the back of your top teeth, inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. When exhaling try

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The Office Elf

Sep 28, 2022
1 min

Who is The Office Elf?

It’s been nearly a year since I’ve started The Office Elf so I think it’s time to re-introduce myself. Hello! I’m Dorothee. I’m originally from France, but I’ve lived in Australia, Canada and now in the UK (North Yorkshire). I originally trained in Marketing and I started my career in the independent music industry in France. And that was a lot of fun! After a few years as a marketing/event manager, I naturally switched to Admin and Accounts roles in various industries. I’m a

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What are the 3 things you like the most about your job?

The Office Elf

Sep 21, 2022
1 min

What are the 3 things you like the most about your job?

It’s always important to take time to reflect on what you like about your job, especially when you set up your own business. You can sometime forget why you started; what you were trying to achieve; maybe why you quit your last job… So today, take 5 minutes to ask yourself: what do you like about your job? I’ll go first: I like the diversity linked to working with multiple customers, jumping from one project to another keeps the job interesting! Meeting new customers, getting

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Have you ever heard of the Pratfall Effect?

The Office Elf

Sep 14, 2022
1 min

Have you ever heard of the Pratfall Effect?

So, the Pratfall Effect “states that people who are considered highly competent are found to be more likeable when they perform an everyday blunder than those who don’t. The effect was first studied by social psychologist Elliot Aronson in 1966. (…) Because these superior people were viewed by others as “superhuman,” a small mistake would allow others to better humanize them, and thus, like them more.” (https://www.brescia.edu/) I think the first time I came across that notio

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