Jackie Bridgen Virtual

So, you’ve taken the leap and embarked on the exhilarating journey of starting your own business. Congratulations! Now that you have the vision, the passion, and the determination, it’s time to create a workspace that reflects your brand and fosters productivity. But fear not, dear entrepreneur, because we’re here to guide you through the whimsical dance of stocking your new office with the essential must-haves that will have you and your team humming along like a well-oiled machine.

OK, that might be a bit optimistic. Let’s settle for functioning, and making it through the first quarter holding onto some of that get up and go.

1. The Command Center: Your Desk

Let’s start with the heart of your new creative haven – your desk. It’s where you’ll hatch brilliant ideas, conquer challenges, and maybe even have a snack or two. You’ll need:

A sturdy desk: Find one that suits your style and provides ample workspace.
A comfortable chair: Trust us, your back will thank you later.
A computer or laptop: Your trusty sidekick for all things digital.

Make sure the desk is the right height for the chair, or vice versa, and go for as much desktop space as you can fit in.

2. Shedding Light on Brilliance: Proper Lighting

Banish the shadows and let your brilliance shine! Good lighting isn’t just practical; it sets the mood for creativity. Here’s what you need:

Desk lamp: Shed light on your workspace and avoid squinting.
Natural light: If possible, position your desk near a window for a dose of sunlight.

If you’re prone to SAD get ready for winter by making sure there’s a slot for your daylight lamp.

3. Get Organized: Storage Solutions

In the world of business, staying organized is key. You’ll want to:

Invest in storage: Shelves, drawers, or cabinets will keep your space tidy.
Desk organizers: Keep pens, notebooks, and random paperclips from taking over.

Can we say IKEA? But if it has to be Marketplace for now, so be it. Do get some storage sorted though.

4. Stay Connected: Tech Essentials

You can’t escape the digital age, and honestly, why would you want to? Embrace it with:

High-speed internet: A non-negotiable for seamless communication and research.
Charging stations: Keep your devices powered up and ready to go.

All that being said, do try to cut down on cable clutter.

5. Note It Down: Stationery Supplies

There’s something charming about putting pen to paper. Make sure you have:

Notebooks and sticky notes: Capture fleeting ideas and important to-dos.
Pens and pencils: Scribble, sketch, and doodle your way to success.

If you’re a bullet journal or planner person, make sure you have all the supplies you need to make your to do list a work of art.

6. Sip, Sip, Hooray! Coffee and Hydration Station

Let’s be real, many great ideas are born over a cup of coffee. Equip yourself with:

Coffee maker or kettle: For that much-needed caffeine fix.
Water dispenser: Stay hydrated and keep the ideas flowing.

7. Comfort is Key: Personal Touches

Now that you’ve got the essentials down, it’s time to infuse your space with personality:

Plants: A touch of greenery adds freshness and life to your office.*
Artwork or posters: Decorate your walls with pieces that inspire you.
Cozy elements: Throw pillows or a cozy blanket can make your space feel like home.

*If you know you’re going to kill them, just face the truth and buy fake.

Remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg. As your business grows, so too will your office space and its contents. Start with these basics, and let your creative journey lead the way.

Cheers to your new business venture, and may your office be as vibrant and innovative as your ideas! Happy office stocking!

And if you’re on the lookout for tips to keep your office running smoothly until the glorious day you have grown your business enough to hire me as your VA, join my fun loving newsletter community for a free guide to getting yourself organised and ongoing info and chat.

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Take a Letter

25th Jan 20231st Feb 2023 jackiebridgenvirtual

Documents need love and attention too

Obviously, you know what you want to say.

You know because it’s on that Word doc with more blue lines than Jacob Rees Mogg’s shirt.

You know, because you dictated it to voice recorder while moving the sheep, and apart from that bit where you dropped your phone in the feed bin for a bit, it’s pretty clear.

You know, because you wrote it longhand in your journal and it sounds amazing.

If you need it typed up, spellchecked, grammar policed, polished up and formatted for print, presentation or posting, I can do that for you. As long as the words are there somewhere and I can decipher them, I will put them into the document format of your choice.

Document production is charged at £30 per hour, and the time taken will depend on how much needs doing (and how long the phone was in the feed bin) or can be integrated into a bespoke package.

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Money Talks

18th Jan 2023 jackiebridgenvirtual

Let’s keep it chatting

Bookkeeping is apparently the only word in the English language with three consecutive double letters.

This is the kind of worthwhile factette you may be tempted to look up when what you should actually be doing, is reconciling your bank feed.

Modern accounting and bookkeeping software allows you to link everything to everything else, and in theory, it’s just jumping off a log to keep the accounts up to date. In reality however, someone has to tag the transactions, decide whether that Sainsburys payment is really your fuel bill or your partner’s inadvertently used the business card to buy the groceries, tidy up the categories, run your end of month reports …

Choosing to have bookkeeping managed by a virtual assistant, either as a standalone service or as part of a package, can free you from repetitive housekeeping tasks, allowing you to get on with your real work.

Using Quickbooks, Quickfile, Free Agent or another package with bank feed enabled means that once I’ve gained an understanding of what you do, and how it all fits together, you won’t have to worry about it again.

The time required to maintain your bookkeeping might start with a couple of hours to familiarise myself, and thereafter, depending on the size of your business, may be as little as one hour per fortnight for a small sole trader. It depends how current you want to keep it and how many transactions need managing. This service starts from £30 an hour or can be integrated into a general hours allocation.

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Your Time is My Time

25th Nov 20221st Feb 2023 jackiebridgenvirtual

Why would you do what you don’t love?

You have a skill set. You are good at what you do. What you need is more time in which to do it. Designing gardens or community spaces? Creating beautiful events with your flowers or food? Designing and producing websites? Creating and distributing impactful artwork? Maybe you run courses, travel to deliver conference material, write books?

Doing what you do, is what you were born for. You enjoy it, and it rewards you well.

You may not however enjoy all the elements of running your business. All business activities are not equal. If you become disengaged from the flow of your work, because you need to answer an email, take a call, rebook an appointment – well then it’s easy to have a browse round Instagram, make a cuppa, and just check the weather forecast again, and before you know it, you’ve lost an hour.

What if someone else watched your inbox? What if that request to rearrange a client interview was handled while you were blissfully unaware and achieving your best work in peace?

I have many years of experience in land based and non land based industries, and I can take the weight of repetitive diary and inbox management from you.

Your business can prosper if you do what you are good at. Virtual Assistant hours from as little as 2.5 per week could result in:

Freedom from inbox overwhelm
A more productive work day
Fewer distractions and therefore a clearer vision
Better use of your time, and therefore an increased income
Fewer missed opportunities

Dairy and Inbox Management start at £30 per hour or, if you have other support needs, a bespoke package can be designed.

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Help Is At Hand

7th Nov 20221st Feb 2023 jackiebridgenvirtual

In the light of the climate crisis

Are you concerned about the impact your business has on the environment? As well as administrative support, I offer climate conversations.

You care about the planet, that goes without saying, but often, it’s hard to find the time or access the skills to step back and review your day to day processes. You may feel uncomfortable that you’ve never carried out a climate review of your business. You may be concerned that you might be asked, by a client what your climate policy is?

It’s hard to find a way to express your concern through your business without meaningless green washing.

That’s why I created a service called climate conversations, which you can access via my Virtual Assistant portal.

If you would like me to use my permaculture experience to help you to review where you are, and what you can do – that would be a climate conversation.

We start with information gathering, via an informal form and move onto a zoom to talk it through. I will then present findings and suggestions – either written or via another zoom or teams meeting.

Climate conversations come in at anything from four hours and are charged at £30 per hour.

Keeping you posted

Documents need love and attention too

Let’s keep it chatting

Custom fit is everything

Why would you do what you don’t love?

In the light of the climate crisis