Tag: people

Staying Healthy on the Road

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You can tell an experienced business traveler from one who is new to the experience. It is easy for someone new to business travel to participate in excesses on the road. As business traveler, you are an adult and you are trusted by your company to conduct yourself in a businesslike fashion during your time out representing the firm. But it is easy to let the idea of an expense account and free time in a far away town get the best of you and to let yourself go as you travel.
These kinds of excesses are the types of behavior that you will see an experienced business traveler avoid. If you are setting out on a lengthy business trip perhaps lasting many weeks and traversing many cities, the road itself can take a toll on your health and well-being. The disruption to your normal life patterns, the hard work and the stress of making connections and moving from town to town can introduce levels of fatigue that can take a toll and even lead to illness on the road. And there is no more unpleasant experience than to be ill while traveling for business and to still have to do your duties despite your poor health.
It is for this reason that observing some strict rules of good living on the road will pay off over the life of the trip and make the rigors of travel much less serious. Much of the discipline of business travel involves simply introducing a daily routine to your life that includes some healthy activities so you can keep your physical, mental and emotional state in good shape and ready for business each and every day. Some simple but effective rules to live by for a healthy business travel experience include…
* Sleep routines. A good night’s sleep is something we take for granted. And to get into a rested state takes more than just a bed and an alarm clock. You have routines at home that you use to cycle down toward rest. Adapt those to life on the road and allow yourself that hour before bed to get ready to rest as well as ample time to rest as well as sleep. Both are necessary for good health.
* Regular exercise. Most hotels have an exercise room or pool you can use to get some motion into your muscles. Sitting in airplanes or conference rooms can cramp your muscles and keep you from maintaining good flexibility. Even if it is nothing more than taking a walk after dinner or doing some simple exercises at night in the hotel, give your body some movement so stretch those muscles and get some fresh oxygen into your blood.
* Time not working. For the sake of your mental health, take some time just for you. If you are in a town that has some fun things to see, get away from the business side of business travel and go to the zoo or a museum or see an attraction to give your mind a break from the stress of business. And take a few hours at night to relax in the hotel and read a book or watch your favorite TV show. You need that mental down time to recuperate and process all that is going on during your trip.
* Good foods. Don’t cave into the temptation to eat fast food. Look for restaurants that will serve you well-rounded meals. Make sure you eat fruits, dairy, vegetables, breads and good healthy proteins each day.
* Don’t drink. Alcohol, while fun, is a huge drain on your body’s resources. The time drinking and recovering makes demands on your body that take away from your stamina and ability to stay healthy each day. So avoid alcohol other than perhaps a glass of wine at night. You will survive the trip so much better if you are careful about your alcohol consumption.
Some of these ideas seem almost ridiculously simple. But if you have done any business travel at all, you know that sometimes the simple requirement of a healthy diet and some time to yourself to exercise and rest can be elusive in a busy work schedule. But if you make it a priority to live well on the road as you do at home, you will come home ready to deal with home issues without having that long time to recover from the trip.

Are Travel Agents Obsolete?

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I am currently in the process of booking my families summer vacation.  I feel that I am very hands on when it comes to finding the best deals, especially in the summertime when deals are few and far between.  The amount of travel websites on the innerwebs can seem overwhelming.  These travel web sites have been very successful at facilitating travelers to book their own airline and hotel reservations online.  So with this huge push from the internet to take over the travel industry, one has to ask, “Are travel agents obsolete?”

If you have browsed some of these travel sites, you have observed that they are amazing in the diversity of travel options that they make available.  And it is impossible to deny that many thousands of people have taken advantage of these services.  Then, there is the business traveler.  The business traveler has needs that are somewhat different than the typical airline passenger.

There are some very specific services that a living and breathing travel agent can provide that simply cannot be replicated by an automated web site like Kayak or Hotwire.   Some of those services that a seasoned business traveler would be hard pressed to live without include…

  1. Focus You as a business traveler are not arranging this trip for entertainment.  You have specific business objectives in mind.  So if you must take time away from preparation for your business task to worry about travel itineraries, hotel and rental car reservations and the like, that is time that you are not being productive for your business.  If you can call a talented travel agent who knows your travel profile well and delegate those arrangements to that agent, they do their job in finding just the right accommodations for you and you are freed to do what you do best, focus on your business and the upcoming business trip.
  2. Economy It is difficult to find that balance between finding the accommodations that fit the demanding schedule of a businessperson on the road and is respectful of the companies travel budget as well.   If you use an automated online travel service, you may have to sacrifice convenience, schedule or location for economy.  A good travel agent will work hard to get you the right itinerary while getting as close the corporate travel cost restrictions as possible.  And they will do it without taking up a lot of your time.
  3. Back up. You don’t need help if your trip goes completely as planned.  But if you encounter problems on the road, you can find yourself in need or rescheduling flights and finding new accommodations to work around canceled flights, weather issues or other unexpected interruptions to your plans.  These travel disasters are not mindful of your tight deadlines to meet your business goals.  But if you have a travel agent who is dedicated to providing you service, he or she can find those alternative routes and resources to do all they can to get you to your destination so you can conduct your business on time.
  4. That personal touch. You may have travel preferences that you want to achieve with each trip you take.   A travel agent has your profile and your travel history so they can do what they can to accommodate your preferences.  But moreover, if you have specific special needs such as a diet limitation or a need for accommodation due to a disability, it will be a travel agent that sees to it that your needs are provided for and you are well taken care of on the road.

 

  1. Complications. If your travel itinerary involves making connections with other business partners who are traveling from diverse offices, complex travel schedules and itinerary challenges that just cannot be described to the generic screens of an online travel service, you can explain these complications to your travel agent and they can work with other travel agents working to organize the meeting and see to it that your itinerary meets your requirements.

 

While the online travel services do provide a valuable and affordable alternative to the general traveling public, it is easy to notice their limitations if you are trying to book a trip that is tricky or if you have specific needs that the screens do not anticipate.  That is why working with a human travel agent guarantees that this travel professional will dedicate themselves to the task of making sure your trip works to your specifications and that you get to your destination ready to conduct business and be successful in your achieving your goals.

STOP! Are you on Pinterest!

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If you have been following my journey you probably have already read about my unexpected work stoppage over the weekend due to a stomach bug.  Add that to an EXTREMELY hectic work week and I almost missed my goal of having new content every Monday – Friday.

Almost!

If you are on Pinterest I invite you to join my collaborative board Blog Madness 101!  You can gain an invite if you message me on Pinterest @teacherces or leave a message with your Pinterest name and I’ll add you.

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Let’s see what we can build and network, together!

Unsuspecting Work Stoppage

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Image result for mommy is sickAs a budding entrepreneur who has a 9 to 5, my weekends are sacred.  The weekend is the time that allows me total dedication to my craft.  I appreciate the weekend.  I love the weekend and usually can get so much work accomplished.

Except, for this past weekend.  Although, I have heard about this happening it never happened to me until this past weekend.

My whole entire family came down with a stomach virus.  We were ALL sick.  It started with my son on Friday night.  On Saturday night it was my turn.  I was up all night hovering over the porcelain throne for most of the night.  The husband’s turn was Sunday morning and my daughter was (hopefully) the last one Sunday night.

As much as I love working, the only thing I wanted to do was lay on the couch with a cup of ginger ale watching old episodes of The Love Boat.

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Bad mom alert

I laid in bed until 4 pm.  My kids had the rule of the house so it was a complete mess when I went downstairs and guess what, that is okay.  Sometimes it takes a stomach virus to slow down and take the time to think.  It crossed my mind to go and get my laptop and get some work done but I was so tired from being up the previous night.  Plus, I had not seen The Love Boat since I was a kid in the 80’s.  It was keeping my interest in all of its 80’s cheesiness.  I had a Skype appointment with a client early that morning, so I was especially tired and groggy when I took it.

Despite not feeling one hundred percent, I went into work anyone today.  I knew my stomach felt settled enough that I wouldn’t vomit on anyone today but I am still a little fatigued.  It is important to take time out when you need to, even if it unexpected.  Today I play catch up on all the work I did not get done over the weekend and guess what?  That is okay!

5 Things to Consider Before You Hire a Virtual Assistant

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I hear the term “Virtual Assistant” more and more in business. When I hear of a virtual assistant I envision a person who has made it.  A jet setter who is highly successful.  Than I realize that almost anyone can have a virtual assistant and it does not have to cost you an arm and a let.  Did you know that you could outsource this task and pay a whole lot less?  Many VA’s have degrees.

With the growth of virtual assistants there has also been a change in what it means to be a virtual assistant.  The leaders and founders of this particular entrepreneurial job have made distinctions between what it means to be a virtual assistant, and what it does not mean.  When you are explaining your business to others, you want to make sure to keep this standard.  

A virtual assistant is someone who provides a variety of services to businesses and individuals.  The first angle that is taken towards approaching what a virtual assistant is includes the idea of being virtual. If you are not working out of your home, or remotely, then you are not considered a virtual assistant.  Instead, it is considered to be a temporary job or a telecommuting job.  One of the standards for being a virtual assistant is having the freedom to work where you want.

The second part to being a virtual assistant is the distinction that is made in the job description.  Most virtual assistants will cringe at the idea of being called a secretary or freelance worker.  Technically, a freelance worker is one who only does the job for extra income.  At the same time, a secretary is one who doesn’t do the work continuously with only one client.  A virtual assistant is provided in order to create a substantial and long term relationship with a business.

Here are 5 factors you should consider when it is time to hire a virtual assistant!

  1. Professionalism.

Does the VA answer her or his emails, voicemails and other correspondence in a timely and professional manner? It is important that if this person is to work for you, they have the right skills to not keep you or a deadline waiting. Make sure you give a task to her or him to pass that shows commitment to deadlines.

  1. Project Management.

Multitasking nowadays is essential. We now pull out our smartphones if lines are too long as our society as a whole has grown increasingly impatient. If a person cannot work with a few projects on the go you definitely need to move on. Do not find out that you have a project management problem when it is too late.

  1. Availability.

It is not unusual that your VA works for several people at the same time. It is not uncommon for you as an employer to be in a funnel system for the VA. You slowly move down the funnel as they take on better contracts from new virtual employers. Keep that in mind and ask if your VA has other employers when you are interviewing them for employment.  

  1. Test.

Give the VA a mini project before going ahead with a contract.  It  needs to be done correctly and to my total satisfaction before I even consider this person. It is simple to hire one of the first few people to come along but please shortlist at least 10 and give the tasks to 2 of the 10 you shortlisted. Obviously make sure these tasks are something you actually want done, you do not want to waste any money.

  1. Get References.

Can the VA give you a list of people whom you can contact who will tell you about working with her or him?

The main distinction that most virtual assistants will work towards creating is the idea of being in a relationship with a business, and making this their business.  This goes beyond the expectations of any temporary work or telecommuting job.  It also means that the services a virtual assistant can provide will go outside of job descriptions that are made in the office.  By understanding the standards for being a virtual assistant, you can best approach this in your own relationships with businesses.