Today's work on/in the business - Thurs 30 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Working on website revamp for new customer. (10hrs 25mins)
3. Accounting. (15mins)

And I managed to do some filing while I was waiting for things to finish running... :-)

Today's work on/in the business - Wed 29 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 2 posts today. (1hr 5mins)
3. Working on website revamp for new customer. (3hrs 25mins)

The website revamp work required breaks to think - hence the short 'working' day - which wasn't really.

Today's work on/in the business - Tues 28 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (15mins)
2. Review progress made this week and ensure the schedule is right for next week. (5mins)
3. Look at the statistics that Google Analytics gives you. 71 visits - so down more, 49 new visits - so a good mix of new and existing visitors, 23% search, 15% direct and 62% referral traffic - keyword/site path information shows that current processes are working to bring people to the site, 2.69 pages per visit, 1:00 average time on site is still reasonable - these last figures show people actually look at the site once they find it. The holiday doldrums are still here - as expected. (10mins)
4. Starting the process of website revamp for new customer - getting the final pieces in place. (6hrs 5mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Mon 27 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Top up mobile broadband. (10mins)
3. Record email address collected last week. (5mins)
4. Accounting. (25mins)
5. Review the project schedules. Adjusted current project. Moved ongoing software projects out another week. (30mins)
6. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 4 posts today. (40mins)
7. Record business emails. (5hrs 15mins)
8. Download and sort business emails. (1hr 50mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Fri 24 Dec

1. Send Merry Christmas emails to customers and associates. (2hrs 5mins)
2. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
3. Record business cards collected last Thursday. (15mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Thurs 23 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Accounting - transfer our accounts to QuickBooks and enter the latest information. (2hrs 50mins)
3. Invoicing - nothing paid. (5mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Wed 22 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Accounting - transfer our accounts to QuickBooks. (8hrs 20mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Tues 21 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Email customer re status of moving site from one server to another. (5mins)
3. Bookkeeping for Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer. (1hr)
4. Invoicing - 1 cheque received. (10mins)
5. Look at the statistics that Google Analytics gives you. 87 visits - so down some, 63 new visits - so a good mix of new and existing visitors, 24% search, 20% direct and 56% referral traffic - keyword/site path information shows that current processes are working to bring people to the site, 2.84 pages per visit, 1:21 average time on site is reasonable - these last figures show people actually look at the site once they find it and they are staying reasonably consistent. The holiday doldrums are here - as expected. (5mins)
6. Accounting - transfer our accounts to QuickBooks. (10hrs 20mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Mon 20 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 4 posts today. (1hr)
3. Invoice reconciliation. Everything was chased last week, leave this till the new year now. (5mins)
4. Review the project schedules. Moved ongoing software projects out another week and the equivalent point for the CRM project. (5mins)
5. Review progress made this week and ensure the schedule is right for next week. (5mins)
6. Accounting. Finish QuickBooks training and convert existing Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer details to QuickBooks. (10hrs 25mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Sun 19 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Accounting - QuickBooks training. (5hrs 30mins)
3. Backup information to the server. (20mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Sat 18 Dec

1. Accounting - QuickBooks training. (40mins)
2. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)

A difficult day.

My ex-partner had to have the last of our cats put down on Friday night as he had a stroke.
Then we had to take a close friend into hospital to get an issue checked out - which fortunately turned out to have a very simple and mild outcome. But all in all, a tougher day than you would hope for.
And almost none of the Christmas shopping is done.

Today's work on/in the business - Fri 17 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (20mins)
2. Invoicing. Nothing paid. (5mins)
3. Setting up test environment for website revamp for new customer - finally set up, ready to start actual work. (2hrs 35mins)
4. Determine issue with moving website to different server. It had run out of space - it appears that one of the items that I deleted to free up space was actually needed - oops! But I found it and fixed it. (3hrs 50mins)
5. Accounting - including QuickBooks training. (4hrs 40mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Thurs 16 Dec

1. Networking meeting in Bendigo. Much better - many more turned up and we had a few new members as well - good venue too! (5hrs 35mins)
2. One to one meeting with group member. (1hr 25mins)
3. Follow up of potential new member for networking group - ensure she knows she has not been forgotten. (25mins)
4. Site visit for associate - review employment contract that she wants created as Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant work. Included quick training run down in QuickBooks as well. (2hrs 50mins)
5. Trip to bank to deposit cheque. (20mins)
6. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
7. Post on the Perfect Notes blog - Windows Users – Remember to Defragment your hard drive. (1hr 45mins)
8. Defragment the hard drive on my business laptop - again. There is now enough space to run this completely, but the process still needs to be repeated later. (1hr 25mins)
9. Compress files on my laptop to make enough space for defrag to work correctly. (1hr)

Today's work on/in the business - Wed 15 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Setting up test environment for website revamp for new customer. (7hrs 10mins)
3. Accounting. (5mins)
4. Travel towards Bendigo for networking meeting. (1hr 40mins)
5. Read through business blogs. (30mins)
6. Defragment the hard drive on my business laptop - again. There is still not enough space to run this completely, so the process needs to be repeated later. (20mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Tues 14 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Setting up test environment for website revamp for new customer. (4hrs 25mins)
3. Refining initial draft of Employment Agreement for associate. (1hr 5mins)
4. Invoicing - nothing paid. (5mins)
5. Accounting. (10mins)
6. Look at the statistics that Google Analytics gives you. 90 visits - trending up again recently, 63 new visits - so a good mix of new and existing visitors, 23% search, 22% direct and 55% referral traffic - keyword/site path information shows that current processes are working to bring people to the site, 2.73 pages per visit, 1:24 average time on site is reasonable - these last figures show people actually look at the site once they find it and they are staying reasonably consistent. (10mins)
7. Phone call to discuss queries about accounting recording for Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer. (20mins)

Then off to Body Corporate meeting to back up a friend and out for an evening of music.

Today's work on/in the business - Mon 13 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Review the project schedules. Moved ongoing software projects out to two weeks after the end of the current project and the equivalent point for the CRM project. (5mins)
3. Review progress made this week and ensure the schedule is right for next week. This took longer than usual as my laptop had a Blue Screen of Death! (45mins)
4. Update planning for website revamp for new customer. (10mins)
5. Type up initial draft of Employment Agreement for associate - Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant work. (4hrs 25mins)
6. Follow up on existing customers and prospects. (5mins)
7. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 3 posts today. (35mins)
8. Assist with refinements to pictures on shopping cart add on for existing support customer. (30mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Sun 12 Dec

1. Assist with refinements to shopping cart add on for existing support customer. (1hr 30mins)
2. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
3. Download and sort business emails. (55mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Sat 11 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Assist with setting up shopping cart add on for existing support customer - worked out where to make the changes, now just a matter of adjusting layout. (2hrs)
3. Invoicing - nothing paid. (5mins)
4. Accounting. (15mins)
5. Record business emails. (3hrs 15mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Fri 10 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Assist with setting up shopping cart add on for existing support customer - sometimes it is tough to put information into an existing structure the way a customer wants. (3hrs 10mins)
3. Continuing initial investigation for website revamp for new customer. Decided on a way forward. (3hrs 20mins)
4. Invoicing - nothing paid. (5mins)
5. Invoice reconciliation. Nothing to chase at the moment. (5mins)
6. Accounting. (15mins)
7. Record business cards collected earlier this week and send out follow up emails as required. (2hrs 45mins)

Unfortunately, another busy day despite the fact that I wanted to relax after yesterday - woke up with the start of a head cold this morning, progressing fast!

Today's work on/in the business - Thurs 9 Dec

1. Networking meeting in Bendigo. Some missing appeared again, some are still unavailable. (7hrs)
2. Update my record of time worked. (15mins)
3. Continuing initial investigation for website revamp for new customer - mostly just reorganising the schedule based on what work was actually done, rather than planned. (20mins)
4. Meeting with business coach/consultant in Bendigo re possible work for her clients - seemed very positive. (1hr 20mins)
5. Site visit for associate - assist her with interview for part time staff member, collect basis for employment contract that she wants created as Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant work. (3hrs 40mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Wed 8 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (20mins)
2. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 2 posts today. (45mins)
3. Trip to collect dead MacBook and purchase a replacement. (1hr 30mins)
4. Accounting. (20mins)
5. Continuing initial investigation for website revamp for new customer. (3hrs 15mins)
6. Travel towards Bendigo for networking meeting. (1hr 50mins)
7. Defragment the hard drive on my business laptop - repeatedly. There is not enough space to run this completely, so the process needs to be repeated later. (3hrs 30mins)

It was an interesting experience to run the Analysis section of the Defragmentation tool on my hard drive... I think that is probably the next Perfect Notes blog post!

Today's work on/in the business - Tues 7 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (15mins)
2. CBA Women in Focus networking meeting with cash flow seminar. (7hrs 5mins)
3. Continuing initial investigation for website revamp for new customer. (45mins)
4. Look at the statistics that Google Analytics gives you. 73 visits - low, but steady recently, 51 new visits - so a good mix of new and existing visitors, 30% search, 25% direct and 45% referral traffic - keyword/site path information shows that current processes are working to bring people to the site, 2.64 pages per visit, 1:30 average time on site is reasonable - these last figures show people actually look at the site once they find it and they are staying reasonably consistent. I guess the main issue is that you cannot force people to search the internet - they do it when they are ready. (10mins)
5. Accounting. (15mins)
6. Networking - face to face. Monthly networking meeting as part of the NEIS support - the Christmas party! (3hrs)

A long day, but worthwhile. Many new, quality contacts made at the networking events, and a lot of good information from the seminar this morning - reinforcing some stuff that I already knew as well as some new ideas.
It was fun to go along to the Christmas networking meeting - catch up with a few people we knew and meet a few new ones - always a good thing!

Today's work on/in the business - Mon 6 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Review progress made this week and ensure the schedule is right for next week. (10mins)
3. Follow up on existing customers and prospects. (15mins)
4. Assist with redirecting customer's email for new domain to existing email. (5hrs 25mins)
5. Meeting to discuss issues and requirements for websites for customer who may need assistance with changes and hosting. (2hrs 25mins)
6. Continuing initial investigation for website revamp for new customer. (1hr 35mins)
7. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 3 posts today. (1hr)

Today's work on/in the business - Sun 5 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
2. Initial investigation for website revamp for new customer. (3hrs 10mins)

Took a reference manual along to watch the racing - forgot we were also babysitting a friend's 5 year old daughter - so did not get quite as much reading done as I had planned! But it was a great day.

Today's work on/in the business - Sat 4 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (15mins)
2. Record business emails. (50mins)
3. Download and sort business emails. (40mins)
4. Bookkeeping for Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer. (20mins)
5. Review the project schedules. Moved ongoing software projects out another week. (5mins)
6. Initial planning for website revamp for new customer. (25mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Fri 3 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (15mins)
2. Invoicing - 1 paid, 1 cheque received (I checked the letter box too late to bank it today). (10mins)
3. Look at Bendigo Business Directory for businesses to approach - 2 contacts made, 1 email sent and 1 email sent following up on contact in Camberwell from a while ago. (5hrs 5mins)
4. Invoice reconciliation - 2 invoices followed up for 1 customer. (15mins)
5. Respond to query re collaboration on Plone development. (35mins)
6. Investigate websites for customer who may need assistance with changes and hosting. (35mins)
7. Bookkeeping for Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer. (1hr 50mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Thurs 2 Dec

1. Networking meeting in Bendigo. Smaller again - some seem to be MIA... (6hrs 20mins)
2. One to one meeting with group member. (50mins)
3. Work to get Macbook looked at after its accident the night before. This included a visit to the nearest Mac shop on our way back - who offered me an appointment on MONDAY for someone to look at it - yeah right - another 4 DAYS with the remnants inside - I don't think so! Then a visit to people who are NOT an actual Apple store, who took it and were going to take it apart and start the cleaning and drying out process immediately - MUCH more useful! (1hr 45mins)
4. Update my record of time worked. (5mins)
5. Invoicing - deposit/first instalment paid on one invoice. (10mins)
6. Accounting. (15mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Wed 1 Dec

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Bank reconciliation. (5mins)
3. Accounting. (10mins)
4. Meeting with new customer - website revamp. (4hrs 30mins)
5. Determine whether we met the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for November 2010. Thankfully, we met most of them - the obvious one that failed being my requirement to exercise (but this is improved), and I missed the online forum posts required this month - good improvement is 1 business coach visit made and another one booked for December. (10mins)
6. Networking - follow up on posts and queries - 2 posts today. (35mins)
7. Travel towards Bendigo for networking meeting. (1hr 55mins)
8. Post on the Perfect Notes blog - Networking - does it work? (40mins)
9. Read small business magazines to catch up. (1hr 45mins)

Today's work on/in the business - Tues 30 Nov

1. Update my record of time worked. (10mins)
2. Invoicing - nothing paid, 2 sent out. (30mins)
3. Meeting to review status of bookkeeping for Perfect Notes Virtual Assistant customer. (Lots of travel time in this one - there was a truck broken down!) (2hrs 35mins)
4. Look at the statistics that Google Analytics gives you. 76 visits - so down a lot - but trending up again recently, 55 new visits - so a good mix of new and existing visitors, 29% search, 28% direct and 43% referral traffic - keyword/site path information shows that current processes are working to bring people to the site, 2.42 pages per visit, 1:39 average time on site is reasonable - these last figures show people actually look at the site once they find it and they are staying reasonably consistent. I guess the main issue is that you cannot force people to search the internet - they do it when they are ready. (10mins)
5. Accounting. (10mins)
6. Look at Bendigo Business Directory for businesses to approach - 2 contacts made. (40mins)
7. Record business emails. (1hr)
8. Download and sort business emails. (20mins)
9. Preparation for meeting with new customer tomorrow. (10mins)
10. BNI work. (30mins)
More work was done - of the reschedule/review nature - that doesn't get recorded