What’s better than one Passionate PA? Two!

This blog is written by Jenni Bowman, a seasoned freelancer having been a Passionate PA franchisee for over 6 years. Here she shares how collaboration within our team adds spectacular value to her clients.  


Jenni’s Story

As a business support specialist and strategic partner to my clients, I am used to solving problems. Solving problems for clients is part of why I love what I do so much, but recently I was able to solve a problem in record time… I simply told them they needed another The Passionate PA.

The Problem

I have been engaged with this particular client for many years. In terms of an ideal client, they absolutely fit the bill. They are an ambitious digital media business growing fast. We work brilliantly together and they are an asset to my client bank.

However, they are growing so fast they were needing more and more support with HR and Recruitment. Whilst I love HR and recruitment, my diary is full for the short-term, leaving a resource gap in their business.

But it is simply not a problem when you have a HR expert up your sleeve!

Enter Steph Taylor! 🚀

I discussed the potential solution with my client and within a matter of days, I had onboarded Steph into the business and the results have been nothing short of outstanding.

Together, Steph and I have been able to….

🌟 Refine and hone the recruitment onboarding process to ensure that all new recruits receive a first class experience not only on day 1 of their employment, but all the way through probation. We are working with the senior management team to develop that process even further.

🌟 Successfully onboard 1 new recruit, whilst advertising for a further four posts. Using our skillset to write the ideal job description, create a job advert and sift through applications to generate a shortlist of interview ready candidates.

🌟 We are now working on ensuring that the business offers an employee engagement experience to guarantee staff feel valued, supported and engaged. This benefits not just the people but the business too.

Happy Client

This could have been a trying time for my client. But, they trust me and know that a fellow Passionate PA will have the same ethos, attitude and second-to-none training from our franchise. It was always going to be a winning solution! Huge amounts of momentum are being gained which, of course, means the client is delighted. 

Jen and StephHappy Passionate PAs too!

As the picture shows too, Steph and I LOVE working together. We bounce ideas off each other, delegate tasks between us and ensure that no stone is left unturned for this client. We are learning from each other, collaborating like never before and as a result, we have a happy client and very happy Passionate PAs too!

 

 


Further blogs from The Passionate PA: 

Deciding what to delegate has never been easier…

What are the warning signs that you need to delegate? 

This is such a good question and there are three simple answers: 

  1. You are feeling overwhelmed and/or overworked – and this has become the norm.

  2. You have knowledge and experience gaps that are holding your business back (e.g there are tasks on your To Do List that are outside of your areas of expertise and/or interest and things take you longer than they should) or those knowledge and experience gaps are negatively impacting your people, clients or the world around you (e.g. you don’t have the people management skills to lead your team effectively and as a result, they are not performing).

  3. Your profit margins are healthy enough to do things differently – just because you can do it all, doesn’t mean you should.

If you are in one (or all three) of these camps, it is time to really consider delegating. As a business leader, your time is far better spent on strategic thinking and designing a business that makes the world, and our experience of it, better. You should be delivering work only you can, based on a grounded understanding of what your clients want. When you are doing this, and have the systems, processes and people around you that drive success, you will be operating at a different level… who knows what’s possible then?! 

Ready to take your business to the next level?

Start by taking a look at our free Delegation Tool. This will help you determine the work you should be doing – identifying everything else that can be delegated internally, outsourced to professionals like us, or taken off your plate with a little help from AI.

 

Request your free Delegation Tool today to help you take control of your weaknesses. 

    Why not take a look at the people in our team too, just head on over to our Meet The PAs page to find out more about the skills and experience they could offer you. 

     


    Further blogs from The Passionate PA: 

    Dictation is a dying art! Or is it?

    Dictation is a dying art, right? 

    WRONG. There is so much efficiency to be had in the work place if you, the business leader, can harness this skill. Whether you have a traditional PA, need to send a voice note to your strategic freelance partner (your Passionate PA 😉) or you actually just don’t fancy typing and want Microsoft Word to do the hard work for you, this skill is an efficiency game changer. 

    In today’s fast-paced business world, time is money so they say. Effective communication and efficient workflows are essential for success and everyone’s happiness.

    One valuable tool that often goes overlooked is dictation. By using dictation effectively, you and your teams can save time, increase productivity and streamline operations.

    In this blog, we’ll explore the top ten tips for mastering dictation and reaping the benefits it offers.

    Top 10 Tips for Effective Dictation: Boost Your Business Efficiency

    1. Choose the Right Tools: Invest in high-quality dictation tools and software. A good quality microphone and dictation software can make a world of difference in the accuracy and efficiency of your dictation. However, a modern smartphone can work just as well, as can a computer’s mic if you are dictating straight into Word or an app on there. 

    2. Set the Right Environment: Create a quiet and distraction-free environment for dictation. Noise-cancelling headphones can help eliminate background noise and improve the clarity of your dictation for the human or the machine that will be listening to it.

    3. Practice Regularly: Like any skill, dictation improves with practice. Spend time regularly dictating texts, emails or documents to build your confidence and accuracy. 

    4. Use Proper Pronunciation: Speak clearly and enunciate words properly. Avoid mumbling or speaking too fast, as this can lead to errors in transcription.

    5. Organise Your Thoughts: Before you start dictating, if it’s a long memo, organise your thoughts and plan what you want to say. This will make your dictation smoother and more coherent.

    6. Train Your Software/Human: Many dictation software programs allow you to train them to recognise your voice better. Take advantage of this feature to enhance accuracy. If you are working with a person, take time to discuss abbreviations and terminology you’ll be using. 

    7. Use Commands and Punctuation: Learn the commands and punctuation marks that work with your dictation software. This will allow you to control formatting and structure more effectively e.g. when a comma is needed, say so. When you need a new paragraph, make this clear. When you need a numbered list, start with “point 1 colon” (1:). 

    8. Keep a Backup: Always have a backup plan. If your dictation software fails or you lose the voice note you sent to your PA, how will you recover your thoughts? You can create automatic back ups for your voice notes using cloud storage like OneDrive and Dropbox.

    9. Edit and Proofread: While dictation can save time, it’s essential to edit and proofread your transcribed content. 
    1. Stay Updated: Keep your dictation software and hardware up to date. Manufacturers often release updates and improvements that can enhance your dictation experience.

    Effective dictation is a valuable skill for business owners looking to boost productivity and streamline their operations. By choosing the right tools, setting up a conducive environment, practicing regularly and following these ten tips, you can master dictation and enjoy the timesaving benefits it offers. Embrace dictation as a powerful tool and watch your business efficiency soar.

    Our Favourite Tools

    1. Apple Dictation
    2. Microsoft Word
    3. Voice Memos on iPhone
    4. Otter.AI
    5. Google Docs Voice Typing
    6. Nuance Dragon Anywhere

    Meet The Team

    Each of our Passionate PAs has an extensive skill set and varied business background. We are all business owners and come together as #TeamPassionatePA with a shared ethos; to make a difference to our clients’ lives through our unwavering motivation, striking efficiency and remarkable ability to simply ‘make things happen’.


    Further blogs from The Passionate PA: 

    Outsourcing is the effective management of weaknesses

    Successful leaders understand the importance of focusing on their strengths. But what about those tasks that fall outside your areas of expertise or interest? You know, the ones that drain your energy and detract from your core objectives?

    This is where outsourcing steps in as a strategic solution, allowing businesses (or more specifically, their owners) to effectively manage their weaknesses while maximising their strengths.

    At The Passionate PA, we believe that outsourcing is not merely a transactional process but a powerful tool for business growth and success. With over 15 years of experience in providing top-tier freelance executive-level support to entrepreneurs and ambitious business owners throughout the UK, we’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact that outsourcing can have on a company’s productivity, profitability and overall development.

    The Benefits of Outsourcing

    One of the key benefits of outsourcing lies in its ability to enable business leaders to focus on what they do best. By identifying and acknowledging areas of weakness, whether it be in administrative tasks, business development, marketing, event planning etc, leaders can free up valuable time and mental bandwidth to concentrate on strategic initiatives and core competencies. This not only enhances productivity and efficiency but also nurtures innovation and growth within the organisation.

    Outsourcing to experienced freelancers offers a level of expertise and flexibility that may not be available with in-house staff too. Our team of dedicated and commercially savvy people bring a wealth of business experience to the table, from strategic planning to project management, tender writing to preparing a business for sale. Unlike traditional employees, freelancers can be engaged on a project basis, providing businesses with the agility and scalability required to adapt to changing demands and market conditions.

    Another advantage of outsourcing is its cost-effectiveness. Instead of bearing the overhead costs associated with hiring full-time employees, businesses can leverage the services of freelance professionals and only pay for productive time. Whether it’s billing by the hour, day, or project, outsourcing allows for greater control over expenditure and resource allocation, ultimately leading to improved financial performance and profitability.

    But wait, there’s more…

    Perhaps the most compelling argument for outsourcing though lies in its ability to drive business growth and innovation. By entrusting tasks to experienced professionals, business leaders can tap into specialised skills and resources. This enables them to access new markets, pursue strategic partnerships and capitalise on emerging opportunities – all while maintaining a lean and agile organisational structure.

    At The Passionate PA, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing today’s business leaders. When our team members are working 121 with clients, they are committed to delivering exceptional work and being part of your success story. We partner with you every step of the way to help you achieve your goals and unlock your full potential.

    Think Strategically

    Outsourcing is not just about delegating tasks – it’s about strategically managing your weaknesses to drive business growth and success. By embracing outsourcing as a strategic tool, businesses can focus on their strengths, leverage specialised expertise and drive innovation, all while maximising efficiency and profitability.

    Ready to take your business to the next level? Start by taking a look at our free Delegation Tool. This will help you determine the work only you should be doing – allowing everything else to be delegated internally or outsourced to professionals like us.

    Together, we can turn your weaknesses into strengths and make your business goals a reality.

     

    Request your free Delegation Tool today to help you take control of your weaknesses. 

      Why not take a look at the people in our team too, just head on over to our Meet The PAs page to find out more about the skills and experience they could offer you. 

       


      Further blogs from The Passionate PA: 

      When is it time to outsource?

      This is such a powerful question for solopreneurs, SMEs and all ambitious businesses wanting to grow at pace. In this blog, our director (and seasoned freelancer) Kate Chastey, reveals how you will know when the time is right to start outsourcing.  

      “If only I had more time, I’d be able to do everything myself”.

      If you’ve said this sentence recently, chances are you are NOT ready to outsource. Let me explain; the real value with outsourcing comes from enlisting the help of people that can actually do things better than you – it’s a mindset shift. Only when you really grasp this will outsourcing be a decision you thank yourself for.

      Sure, there are many tasks you can outsource that, on the surface, seem likely to save you time (email management or appointment setting being just two examples) but, I encourage all business owners, and especially Passionate PA clients, to think beyond simply time saving and onto where the real value will come.

      A valuable outsource solution is one that adds something to your business that you cannot. This might be as simple as efficiency, but it might also be special expertise, knowledge, customer insight and so on. Ultimately, any outsourcing solution should not be seen as simply a cost to your business, but as an asset as it can actually improve your bottom line.

      So, how will you know if outsourcing will add real value to your business now?

      If you answer YES to any of these questions, now is the time to start outsourcing.

      Has overwhelmed and/or overworked become the norm?

      • Do you or your team talk frequently about how busy you are, how overwhelming the to do list is and how you just wish there were more hours in the day?
      • Does this mean that you or your people are not focusing on the elements of business that only they can do?
      • Are errors being made or is customer service falling short?
      • Are you missing opportunities to upsell or drive profitable customer engagement?
      • Is there an over-reliance on one person who is performing most functions or tasks within the business?
      • Are you missing deadlines (even self-imposed ones)?

      Are there knowledge and experience gaps in your business?

      • Are there tasks or responsibilities being managed by those with inadequate skill and experience?
      • Do certain tasks take far too long?
      • Are you missing opportunities to automate functions?
      • Is there a lack of fresh ideas and perspective?
      • Do you often have internal projects that overrun or get put on the backburner as there just isn’t the time to complete them?

      Is your business in need of a flexible growth strategy?

      • Is your business ready for growth but you are not ready for the commitment of an employed team?
      • Or, do you personally not want to become an employer but still want to grow your business?
      • Have you tried recruiting but you just can’t find the right skill, expertise or personality?
      • Are you craving a consistent partnership that can grow with your business, something flexible rather than over-reliant on you?
      • Do you know there are more opportunities to be had for your business, if only you had the right support around you?

      If you answered YES to any of these, it’s time to step back from the frontline and invest just a few hours in finding, speaking with and initiating a working relationship with an outsource service provider.

      The most incredible thing about outsourcing is that it gives you power. It allows you to create the time and space needed so you can concentrate on the things you got into business for… the things that are uniquely you and the things you love.

      Everything else can (and should!) be outsourced. Yes, everything.

      If you would like to hear more from Kate about preparing to outsource, listen to Solopreneur SOS Podcast, episode 49, where Karen Murray interviews Kate to explore all things outsourcing.  

      In our next blog, I’ll share with you how to go about finding the right solution for you, and how to start the outsourcing partnership. If however, you are ready to discover what you personally could outsource, we have a super tool to help you decide what you can delegate, and when. Just pop your details below and we’ll send it straight to you. 

       

      Request your free Delegation Tool today to help you prepare to outsource. 

        How to delegate your to do list

        There’s no shortage of ambitious business owners that feel they have too much to do, in too little time. Or, like most of our clients – just want to focus on key activities, with more efficiency, in order to fulfil their own potential and business goals.

        As Passionate PAs, we offer a tailored freelance PA service to suit the needs of each ambitious business owner or entrepreneur we work with. To us, your industry, target market, business structure and growth model are important, but what we really want to know, in detail, is how can we help you?

        When potential clients are asked this question, there are a ream of responses;

        “Ah, I’ve got this one niggling task, let’s do that first!”


        Or…

        “I hate doing X, can you take that away?”


        Or…

        “Tell me what you can help with, we’ll start there?”


        Or…

        “Here’s my to do list – crack on!”


        All are valid responses that we, as freelance PAs, will happily work with. However, at the beginning, we encourage all of our client to assess their working patterns, task lists and priorities to understand where we can add real value, remove stress and anxiety, increase efficiency and profitability – and also inject a little fun! Who doesn’t want more fun in their work life?

        So, at our first discovery meeting, we’ll always ask new clients if they have the time to do this exercise. It usually takes about 40 mins (but depends hugely on the size of the to do list and the new client’s propensity to go off on a tangent 🤪).

        The result of this activity usually brings about a clear set of tasks and responsibilities that can be handed over to their new Passionate PA.

         

        Request your free Delegation Tool today to help you take control of your to do list. 

          Meet The Team

          Each of our Passionate PAs has an extensive skill set and varied business background. We are all business owners and come together as #TeamPassionatePA with a shared ethos; to make a difference to our clients’ lives through our unwavering motivation, striking efficiency and remarkable ability to simply ‘make things happen’.

          Meet the Passionate PAs

           


          Further blogs from The Passionate PA: 

          Compartmentalise and Conquer!

          Being organised and productive is a choice. That choice is the difference between being a busy fool and a successful business person.

          The one trait really productive people share is the ability to compartmentalise their activities. So, in this blog, we share our top tips from over a decade of working with inspiring business leaders:

          1. Write down your personal definition of success i.e. are you wanting to be the world’s greatest parent, a caring employer or a successful business owner. OR, are you trying to create balance – if so, what does balance actually look like in reality with the values and responsibilities you have?
          2. Write a daily To Do List of the things that must get done in order to achieve your overall success goal. One sheet of A4 – no more.
          3. Be ruthless, if the task in your head doesn’t “make your boat go faster” or serve your personal values, do not write it down – scrap it.
          4. Create barriers to all distractions – physically and emotionally. Set times to turn off your phone, get off social media, step away from the news. Create space in your day for the important, critical To Dos.
          5. Allocate time to each ‘compartment’ on your To Do List, and a set time target to achieve each individual task. Remember ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’.
          6. Multitask with cautions. Only do this on the things that don’t really have an impact on your success.
          7. Share your planned way of working with others and set clear boundaries for them i.e. between 8am and 10am every day is your Business Development time so you cannot be disturbed or between 5pm-7pm is exercise and healthy food prep. Explain to others why this protected time is so important so they become advocates, rather than distractions.

          Here is a tool we use to help clients get started with this new ‘compartmentalise and conquer’ approach.

          DOWNLOAD YOUR PDF NOW


          Further blogs from The Passionate PA: