Business and Careers Institute

 

In this newsletter: •  VALERIE'S TIP: Never handle a piece of paper more than once
•  One-day workshop 1 July 2009: Excel Basic to Intermediate
•  RECOMMENDATION: Get Organised Wizard
•  PAUL’S QUICK CLICK: Start Outlook Calendar from a desktop shortcut
•  GOOFY GADGET: Week planner mousepad

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Productivity Plus, your weekly newsletter on how to get more done in less time.

 VALERIE'S TIP: Never handle a piece of paper more than once25-paper.jpgThis is a great tip that saves me tonnes of time. It’s so easy to put things into the “too hard” basket but then you are in danger of that basket spilling over.
  • Block out some time (the end of the day works for me) dedicated to handling paperwork. Even 15 minutes can do the trick as long as you stick to it each day. If you have lots of paperwork, you might want to do this twice a day.
  • Pick up every piece of paper and ensure that you file it somewhere - but not in the “too hard” basket. And don’t put it back on the pile! Your aim is to get your intray empty at every filing session.
  • When you get joke emails in your inbox, sure, have a laugh – but do you really need to keep them? I suggested hitting the “Delete” key.
  • Your intray can sometimes be where magazines go to die.
    If you haven’t read last month’s copy by the time this month’s issue arrives, ditch it. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, tear out the article of interest and read it over lunch.
  • If an article sits there (unread) for months, get rid of it. You are obviously not interested or motivated enough to read it.
  • Put all your receipts in a plastic folder or envelope – don’t just dump them in your intray. Then sort through them every month. 
WE RECOMMEND: Get Organised Wizard by Michele Connolly25-getorganised.jpgThis is a cool site with lots of practical tips. Created by the super-organised Michele Connolly, it is a wealth of information about how to be organised and productive. The best part about this website and its associated materials is that it just looks so damn good! A lot of thought and design has obviously been put into these resources - it makes organising a pleasure!

http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/

One-day workshop Wednesday 1 July 2009: Excel Basic to IntermediateThis course is ideal if you want to build on your basic Excel skills to get more out of the software. You’ll harness the power of Excel to double your productivity.

This workshop will help you become a confident Excel user.

You'll learn:
  • The essentials - you'll learn the foundations
  • We’ll discuss the "When" and "Why" to use spreadsheets before we cover the "How".
  • How to use easy formulas (such as add, subtract, multiply, divide and total numbers).
  • Navigate through menus, ribbons (toolbars) and other screen components of Excel so that you feel comfortable finding the tools you need.

  • Save time entering data.
  • Automatically fill words in a series such as Jan, Feb, Mar . . . . Dec.
  • Enter a sequence of numbers quickly such as 5, 10, 15 . . . . 100.
  • Create your own custom fills such as Small, Medium, Large or Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne.

  • Impressive charts
  • A picture may tell a thousand words, but a 3D chart says it all at a glance - we'll show you the easy way
  • Take control of your pie charts and present them in ways that grab attention immediately.

  • Professional presentation with a stroke of a brush
  • Apply colours, borders and consistent fonts quickly using express tools such as the Format Painter and predefined Themes. (Trust us, this will save you HOURS.)
  • You don’t have to be a graphic designer to make your spreadsheets look like they’ve been created by one.

  • Help your readers with "at-a-glance" visual graphics
  • Apply colour and visual effects such as green ticks for high values and red crosses for low.
  • Visually represent values with new formatting techniques. With conditional formatting you can compare values at a glance to automatically change the cell or font colour, layer a shaded bar, or include an icon.
    •

What past students say:
"I have a better overview of how I can use excel. I got lots of great shortcuts. I can now see how much time I had been wasting."
- Matthew Harris

"After attending the course I learnt how to apply solid formulas to my reports and budgets that will be easy to update with minimal errors."
- Jessica Nowosad, Leo Burnett

What: Excel Basic to Intermediate
When: Wednesday 1 July 2009
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Fee: $325 (includes GST)
You will receive a comprehensive take-home manual which is a handy reference for the future.

Click here to receive a course outline. Or enrol here.
 
PAUL’S QUICK CLICK: Start Outlook Calendar from a desktop shortcut25-outlook.jpgWhen you're in a hurry to make that meeting, you might want to open your calendar to check the appoinment details. Here's how you can create a desktop shortcut that will open your calendar immediately.
  • Search for the Outlook.exe file on your PC by clicking Start, then Search and type Outlook.exe in the find box.
  • When you've found the file, right-click it, choose Send To, then Desktop (create shortcut)
  • Close the search window and find your new Outlook shortcut on your desktop.
  • Right-click the shortcut and choose Properties.
  • Select the Shortcut tab sheet.
  • In the Target field, place your cursor at the end of outlook.exe, press Space and type /select outlook:calendar
  • Click Ok
    
Double click your new desktop shortcut and you'll see your Outlook calendar with your busy schedule instantly.

    GOOFY GADGET: Week planner mousepad
    25-gadet.jpgYou know when you're on the phone and you're scrambling to find a piece of paper to jot some notes down. Well now you can stop scrambling and just scribble your notes on your mousepad. That's right, you can write all over this office accessory and you won't get in trouble from your boss. This mousepad has 60 tear away sheets which is enough to last you a year (and a few extra for those weeks you just can't wait to get rid of).

    Check them out here.

    Upcoming courses: To find out more or to receive a comprehensive course outline, just click on the course you're interested in.

    Course: Excel - Basic to Intermediate
    Date    : Wednesday 1 July 2009 - ENROL NOW
    Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
    Fee: $325

    Course: Excel - Intermediate to Advanced
    Date    : Tuesday 7 July 2009 - ENROL NOW
    Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
    Fee: $325

    Course: Word - Intermediate to Advanced
    Date: Thursday 9 July 2009 - ENROL NOW
    Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
    Fee: $325

    Course: Outlook
    Date: Tuesday 15 July 2009 - ENROL NOW
    Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
    Fee: $ 325

    Course: Writing for the web
    Date    : Friday 26 June 2009 - ENROL NOW
    Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
    Fee: $325

    Thanks for signing up to this newsletter. Remember, if you'd like to leave this list at any time just reply to this email letting us know.

    Wishing you much success,

    Valerie Khoo and Paul Neale
    Directors
    Business and Careers Institute
    Suite 3, 55 Lavender Street
    Milsons Point NSW 2061
    (02) 9923 2882
    courses@bcinstitute.com.au
    www.bcinstitute.com.au

    Paul Neale is a popular corporate trainer and IT expert. He is a tech-evangelist who has trained and consulted in and a wide range of organisations ranging from medium-sized firms to multinational corporations. Paul has spent his career mastering technology, productivity and learning.

    Valerie Khoo is an experienced trainer who also founded the successful Sydney Writers' Centre. She is a sought-after corporate writer and public speaker. Valerie also mentors business owners and professionals on how to use technology to grow their business, improve productivity and get more done - so they can have a life!

    Both Paul and Valerie are directors of the Business and Careers Institute in Sydney which offers short courses that will help you upskill, achieve more and get ahead.