Ann Albrecht Consulting is a proud woman-owned business that supports workers in a woman-led industry. This Women’s History Month we look back at how women have shaped the administrative profession.  

Dating back to at least the 15^th century, secretaries and clerks were traditionally men who served nobility in a variety of roles, including managing the household and advising on political and personal matters. Today, you can still see this use of the word “secretary” in political positions such as Secretary of State. 

Women Get Involved

With the industrial revolution, these clerical roles became common in the world of business, with the positions still held mostly by men. Over time, typing jobs began to be seen as respectable options for educated middle class women, but a dramatic shift happened in the 1940s, when women took office jobs left by the men fighting in World War II. In the booming post-war economy, the rising demand for clerical workers could not be filled by men alone, so the female workforce increased. 

In 1942, the National Secretaries Association (now the International Association of Administrative Professionals, or IAAP) was founded to support women in the burgeoning administrative field. Professional associations and secretarial schools offered training in clerical skills like shorthand dictation. This opened many new doors for women, especially for young women, to support themselves financially. 

The Fight for Rights

These rapidly growing jobs for women, such as secretary and phone line operator, were of course plagued by misogynistic attitudes of the time. Women were often expected to leave their jobs after getting married or having children. In this vein, many men treated the typing pool as a dating pool, and sexual harassment ran rampant. Additionally, opportunities for advancement were rare and these roles were severely undervalued, both culturally and financially. 

The 1970s and 80s saw the next major shift in the industry. Feminist activists like Gloria Steinem and advocacy groups like 9to5 (the inspiration for the film of the same name) drew attention to the mistreated women running offices across the country. With almost 4 million women working in administrative positions, they became a powerful voice in the workers’ rights movement. It may have been an uphill battle, but these women fought to ensure fair wages and protections against workplace harassment, making vital changes to the lives of millions of workers, both men and women. 

Today

Today we use the term administrative professional, which avoids the negative gendered connotations that the word secretary has taken on and better encompasses the wide range of responsibilities the field now covers. Administrative work may look quite different in today’s modern economy than it did back in the days of switchboard operators, but the core function of the jobs remains much the same: administrative staff support a business in its daily operations, from managing communications to coordinating schedules to tracking budgets. Administrative jobs are still the 3^rd most common job for women in America (after nurses and teachers), with as many as 20 million women currently working in administrative roles.  

This Women’s History Month, we at Ann Albrecht Consulting are proud to walk in the footsteps of the women who blazed a trail for work in the administrative profession and beyond.  

To learn more about how a fractional administrative assistant can help you and your business, contact us for a consultation today. 

The post Women’s History Month: How Women Shaped the Administrative Professionals Industry   appeared first on Ann Albrecht Consulting.

Executive assistants may be a lifeline when it comes to staying organized, but they can also be a valuable asset to keep your finances on track. As an extension of your office, an executive virtual assistant can be a huge help with the organization and management of your budget. Financial tracking is one of the many ways an EVA can make your life easier on a daily basis and at key points throughout the year such as tax season.  

As always, establish expectations up front. An EA can’t replace a financial professional, but they can be very useful when managing finances. Think about the following questions. Are they simply storing receipts for you or also tracking and reporting them? Are they helping to track your personal purchases in addition to company expenses? Do they have a corporate card and are they authorized to make purchases without approval? Once the scope of their responsibilities is determined, connect your EA to your finance office and make sure they are given access and training to any financial software or internal systems. 

Here are some key ways you can optimize budget management with the help of your Executive Assistant.  

Delegate daily budget tracking and reporting to your EA. 

Most assistants are perfectly positioned to track budgets. They likely already have the records of travel expenses, supply orders, subscriptions, and business dinners. Your EA can continually input these purchases into a shared spreadsheet, freeing up time for you to focus on other tasks. These spreadsheets are a great way for you to see the state of your finances at a glance. Additionally, passing the responsibility of receipt reconciling to your EA will free up your valuable time at the end of each month. 

Use your EA to streamline financial communication. 

EAs can also serve as a liaison between you and your finance team or any external financial professionals. They can answer questions from your accounting department about specific expenses or take notes during meetings with financial advisors and help track any action items discussed. As in all things, they can manage a large portion of the back-and-forth communication that happens with these parties, to free up time in your day and space in your inbox. 

Use your EA’s project management skills.  

EAs can also help manage budgets for specific projects or events. As they facilitate scheduling and email exchanges, they can be a gatekeeper to help you keep track of where a project’s budget is going. Often, they are already managing catering, reservations, and supply ordering for events. Wrapping expense tracking in with that will cut down on unnecessary miscommunication or redundancies during the planning process. 

Be prepared for tax season. 

While tracking your daily finances, your EA can also be a huge help in preparing for tax filings. They can gather and sort invoices and help track down any missing receipts or paperwork. They can facilitate communication with your internal accounting team or external financial advisors. Additionally, as part of managing your calendar they can help keep track of filing deadlines, the status of returns, and any outstanding payments. 

Are you looking for help in keeping your finances organized year-round? Book a consult with us today to find out how an executive virtual assistant can improve your business! 

The post HOW AN EXECUTIVE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT CAN HELP MANAGE FINANCES   appeared first on Ann Albrecht Consulting.

Transparent  

Clarity at every phase of a working relationship is necessary to build trust and get the job done. Our team understands that effective communication about expectations is necessary in creating and maintaining business partnerships, as well as in getting daily tasks done efficiently and accurately. At every phase, we believe quality communication will make the transition to using a virtual assistant simple and seamless. 

Flexible 

Our staff have over two decades of experience supporting C-level executives in various industries, from Strategic Marketing and Non-Profit to Biotech and Venture Capital. Because of the varying nature in how each company works and grows, we have to be flexible in how we approach every job. We’ll work with you to customize our services to fit your needs.  

Adaptable 

Our experienced team of support professionals has seen administrative work move away from daily planners done in pen and pencil, to Outlook on the computer, to now using AI. Whether instituting new systems and workflows, or simply changing the day’s schedule, our top-notch staff are always ready to adjust the plan as your business grows. 

Action Oriented 

A great executive assistant is action oriented and forward thinking.  When coordinating travel, planning events, managing expenses, and maintaining the daily calendar, a proactive virtual assistant will stay one step ahead, so you can focus on your work. 

A Valued Partner 

At Ann Albrecht Consulting, we are here to provide support resources that help you streamline your business operations. We thrive on helping executives be as productive and impactful as possible. Whether we are working on a long or short project, with an executive team or independently, we are thoughtful, meticulous and professional. Every team is only as strong as its members, and Ann Albrecht Consulting can help complete that dream team. 

The post OUR 5 CORE VALUES  appeared first on Ann Albrecht Consulting.