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Greetings!
 Have you ever painted yourself into a corner? Even a well-intentioned corner? It's a weird place to find oneself.
Technology is a wonderful thing and software has limitless capabilities. Combine someone who knows how to translate functional requirements into technical specs and a good programmer and you can have whatever you need in the way of automated processes and reporting tools. When I built Executive Errands, I did so with the intent it would be built for speed (volume).
Our website is a fully functional database. Monthly billing and daily referrals are both automated. We can service multiple client types. All hourly charges are captured in the website. Concierge timesheets are automated. Clients can view their hourly charges online. Even Client billing receipts are automatically emailed each month.
 We have proactive reporting tools that tell us all sorts of data including when memberships are going to expire, when cash accounts need to be replenished and when a concierge needs to be assigned to a new client. We can run monthly hours by Association and by Client. We can see all the referrals we process on a monthly basis.
Everything is automated. It's truly a beautiful thing. That is, until your website breaks and suddenly you don't know how to do anything.
 That's exactly what happened at November month beginning. We only bill regular clients monthly so the First of each month is a very busy day. When the website stopped functioning, we couldn't invoice anyone, we couldn't run payroll and we couldn't process referrals. We were dead in the cyber water.
The sad part is, we have actual written procedures for how to do everything electronically, but no procedures for how to do those same processes manually. Egad!
I suddenly found myself wracking my brain - how do we get the job done now? It was insane there for a minute because it's not only doing the actual manual work effort; it's also making sure you remember to do EVERYTHING the automated process does. That's where it gets tricky.
You have to remember each little functional aspect of the automation so you don't mess up the system for later when it is once again working properly. The thing about databases, as I'm sure you know, they are only as good as the data entered. Therefore you must maintain absolute consistency. Whew... makes my brain hurt.
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Sample process flow
- not ours! |
As you've probably deduced by now, our website is fully email driven and email dependent. Our host server updated their security protocols in an effort to reduce spam and protect us from phishing and viruses by adding an additional layer of security to email addresses.
Unfortunately they did this without telling anyone so every time we tried to do anything, our email addresses were tagged as invalid. It took three days to figure this out and another four days to fix it.
In the meantime we had to keep our company running and we quickly realized how much more labor intensive all our processes are without the automation. I don't believe any of our Clients even noticed, thankfully, as we worked diligently to keep the problem transparent, but it kept occurring to me - how dumb is it not to have a manual backup plan? How did we overlook that?
 And that's the point - no matter how carefully you plan for contingencies; no matter how well you document your processes, there is always something new to challenge you.
Every day gives us the unique opportunity to learn new things, to rethink how we service our Clients, to reinvent ourselves and our companies (be that policies, procedures or methodologies).
The best thing you can do, especially in the current economic climate is to be flexible. Find ways to be relevant and change your business model as the world changes. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself 'wow, we don't do any of that technological stuff' you might want to consider adopting some.... and soon. If you don't, you'll find yourself left behind as your competitors embrace all that technology now has to offer.
 Just do me this one favor - as you begin incorporating or enhancing your technology please be diligent and fully document not only your processes but also the whys and wherefores, the critical data inputs and the steps to take in the event you find yourself suddenly and fully manual.
Otherwise you may well find yourself painted into that tiny corner right along with me - and while I'm more than willing to play a game of electronic cribbage with you, we only have time for it if our automated systems keep running.
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Executive Errands - bringing you the latest in automated concierge services that help simplify YOUR life too!
www.executive-errands.com 760.469.2487 or 760.898.9604 |
Our Favorite Things...
Geraldine's Costumes & Props
 Why aren't there more themed holiday parties? I'm not just talking about Halloween, although that is traditionally the most popular dress up holiday. But what about the rest of the party year? Why not have a pirate themed party? Or an elf themed party? Snow white and a bunch of dwarves? A vampire themed party or a wild New Year's masquerade party? The ideas are endless.
And yes, I'm talking about grown up parties. As adults, themed parties can be so much fun. But making costumes can be a major chore, especially if you have two left thumbs when it comes to creativity. Recently I was in need of a superman toupee (don't ask) and found myself at Geraldine's Costumes & Props in Cathedral City. What a great place! They can help you with your themed parties no matter what you're looking to do. This year already they've dressed up pilgrims and indians, elves and santas, vampires and princesses.  If you enjoy playing dress up, Geraldine's Costumes & Props is the place to visit for both rentals and sales. For more information, call Sean, Geraldine or Thomas at 760.324.6550. Geraldine's Costumes & Props is located at 68-845 Perez Road in Cathedral City. Plan a fun party this year and visit Geraldine's Costumes & Props - one of our favorite things!
["Our Favorite Things" gives us an opportunity to share people, places, events and things that we truly love and that you might too. We have no business affiliation with any company or individual featured here. We just want to share good things with you and if our recommendations help build business for someone else or saves you time or money, GREAT!!!] |
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Great Gift Ideas
Do you struggle with holiday gift ideas? We often do. Here are a few ways to make gift giving easier:
Gift Baskets: Nothing says 'happy holidays' or 'thank you' like a beautiful gift basket. Custom designed and tailored for your specific gift giving needs, these baskets are a perfect way to give a gift to a whole office, say thank you to a client or business partner or welcome a new neighbor. 
No matter what your budget is, we can help you say Happy Hannukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Birthday, Feliz Compleanos, Congratulations!, Welcome Home and THANK YOU!
And whatever you do - don't think a gift basket has to be 'girly'. We can put together a gift basket to thrill the man in your life too - automotive related, sports themed, casino themed, golf related, something with cigars, airplanes, sports cars - you name it, we can do it!
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While You Were Out: Recently my daughter redecorated her son's bedroom while he was away for a weekend. She transformed it from the little boy room it was, to the preteen room he deserved. He was thrilled and it was a very affordable transition involving paint and a few accessories.
You too can surprise a loved one (or yourself) with a room makeover for a holiday gift. How about transforming the garage into a man cave? A child's bedroom into the room of his or her dreams? A new look for your kitchen? Put new romance into your own bedroom? Or transform a bathroom into a luxurious spa area? All this can be done easily and affordably and it is such a unique and different type of gifting experience.
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Around the House gift certificates: When you are faced with the 'person who has everything' the one thing that is always appreciated are gift certificates for routine home maintenance.
 Anyone can buy restaurant or clothing gift cards from the grocery store, but what about in home tasks like carpet cleaning, window cleaning, housekeeping, concierge service, laundry assistance, grocery shopping, pet sitting, catering, or any other number of services?
Our service providers (and Executive Errands) will provide a gift certificate for the service of your choice and in any denomination.
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These are just three unique and fun gift ideas. If you're stumped on what to do this holiday season, give us a call and we'll help you brainstorm the perfect gift idea.
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An Offering for Association Managers
Do you have any idea how many light fixtures are in the common areas of your community? Or what their condition might be?
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Well now you can have a FREE map of your community with each light fixture, its condition and any proposed repairs all in one document.
Contact us and we'll get you set up - there is no cost or obligation - wouldn't you like to know where and how your lighting shines?
For more information or to schedule a property map, please contact us at at 760.469.2487 or by email at info@executive-errands.com |
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More Bang for your
Preventative Maintenance Buck
 If you have minimal money to invest in preventative maintenance for your home, here are five of the best returns on your minimal investment:
- 1. Quarter turn angle stops - angle stops are one of the leading causes of plumbing leaks and home floods. Homeowners often overlook them until water is already dripping. Be proactive - have them inspected and replace them as necessary.
- Stainless steel braided cable water supply lines - another leading cause of home floods are neoprene hoses and plastic water lines. The dry climate here decreases shelf life and accelerates hose failure. This is true for all water lines including the washer and dryer, lavatory, outdoor bar sinks, dishwasher, refrigerator ice maker water line, and of course your regular sinks. We've installed quite a number of these steel braided lines - be sure you get yours done too.
- Grab bars and railings - if you are older or unsteady or if you have visitors who may be unsteady on their feet, grab bars and railings can be a lifesaver - literally. Look at your home from the perspective of safety. Are there any areas that might benefit from an additional grab bar or railing? If so, add it!
 Would you like to cut down on your energy costs? One simple way is to caulk windows to keep cold in and heat out (or vice versa this time of year) and/or add window film to decrease the amount of sunlight that heats up your home which makes your AC work harder.- Filters - Sand comes in many grits and here in the Desert we are privileged to have a very fine dust present at all times. This dust and grit can clog your Heating and AC filters quicker than in non-desert climates. Change your filters often and have your heating and air conditioning systems regularly serviced to help keep your energy costs down.
Executive Errands can assist you with all these services and many more. We have a network of licensed, insured and local service providers. Let us help you help your home! |
Happy New Year!
History, Traditions and LUCK!
 Have you ever wondered how the New Year celebration tradition came about? The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed by the Romans in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring).
The beginning of Spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Romans observed the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year, but in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
One of the traditions of a New Year's celebration is to make resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. However, the early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
From the New Year's 'Didja Know?' category: The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. The parade was intended to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California.
And although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.
Traditionally, many people believed they could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends.
It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man. (I'll take one, please).
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
In many parts of the U.S., the New Year is celebrated by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity.
Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is also eaten on New Year's Day.
And finally, the song, "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year's in almost every English-speaking country in the world.
At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."
Now you know more than you ever wanted about the New Year's celebration. We hope you have a Happy New Year! 760.898.9604 www.executive-errands.com |
After the Holidays....
Once you get past the holiday season and you've taken a cell phone, flip camera or camcorder's worth of photographs, let Executive Errands help you convert them to DVD or CD. Or, if you have old VHS, BETA, cassette tapes, 8MM or other out-of-date data mediums, we can also convert them to DVD or CD. It's a great New Year's project to help catalog your memories without the clutter of photo albums that will fade, fall apart or drop your pictures. Another case for technology! A VHS conversion typically runs about $20. Additional ones on the same order drop to $15. Copies of DVD's and CD's (after the first one) may be as little as $5. There is no more affordable way to preserve your memories in an easy to use format.
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December Coming Attractions
 We actually have a fairly quiet December - with only two client holiday parties and one speaking engagement, the month looks to be relatively relaxing. Maybe we'll be able to get our own shopping done.... ======================================
Don't forget! If you manage an Association and if you think you'd like to update your holiday decorations for NEXT year, there is still time to schedule a property walk between Christmas and New Year's so our commercial decorating specialist can view your existing decorations and help you formulate a plan for budgetary purposes. Call us to schedule your appointment today! 760.469.2487 |
November Event Updates...
The Cathedral City - Rancho Mirage Soroptimist
Fall Fashion Show and Fundraiser was a HUGE SUCCESS! Everything about the event was record breaking. We had 235 people in attendance - that's twice what we had last year. We raised $20K - 5x more than the usual for this event and so wonderful for House of Hope and other local charities. The Westin was an absolutely perfect place for this event - the staff supportive, knowledgeable and so helpful (Thank you again Teri). The food was delicious, Patrick Evans was a consummate professional (and as funny as always) and every aspect of the event came off without a hitch.  The highlight of the event was honoring Maggie Montez, Senior VP with CBRE, for her efforts and success in creating the Sheltering Sisters Auxiliary for Shelter from the Storm. Maggie spearheaded an effort that raised $40K for the Shelter's day care center and created a video to help educate others about the good the Shelter does. The beautiful fashions provided by Coldwater Creek were paraded down a real runway by our own club member models. And the Live Auction was upbeat and fun! All in all it was an amazing, emotional, funny, rewarding and very happy day. We can't wait to participate again next year!!
To view pictures from the event, please visit www.holidaysinthedesert.com If the photos aren't yet up there, please check back often. They will be posted soon!
For more information about the Soroptimist organization or to join our club, please contact us at 760.898.9604 or 760.469.2487 www.executive-errands.com |
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Thanks to the extreme thoughtfulness and generosity of a wonderful group of women, I am now in the possession of a brand new iPad. Wow! Talk about technology! Holy Moly!
This thing is fun beyond description and even though I've only scratched the surface of its capabilities, already I'm able to access, update and archive all my work documents. I have instant access to books, movies, news and social networking. I can play a game of cribbage or Scrabble while waiting for a meeting to start or I can check the internet. Heck, I can shop if I want. Honestly, if I can get my fingers used to the spacing on the touchscreen keyboard, I may never need to carry my laptop anywhere ever again.  It is my opinion that iPads (and new generations of similar or better devices) are going to revolutionize the way we work, study, travel and interact even more so than they have already.
I can totally envision a world where kids no longer need to lug a heavy backpack, instead toting an iPad or Kindle or some other e-reader. Think about the paper we'd save not printing books and our ability to keep current with history or social studies or science.
[sidebar: when searching for images that illustrated the word 'revolutionize', the iPad came up most often. Interesting....]
It is both exciting and scary at the speed with which technology advances. In just my own 53 years, the changes are so many it would take several newsletters to address them all.
Suffice it to say this is an exciting time in which to live and if you or your company are not embracing all that technology has to offer you will quickly find yourself left behind. No joke.
 Have a wonderful holiday season. The next time we chat, it will be 2011. Life goes by so quickly - savor every moment. Stay conscious and present and keep your priorities straight - family, friends, community, faith. That's what matters most.
Until 2011...... Thank you for your support of Executive Errands. We appreciate each and every one of you!
Leslie Spoor
760.469.2487
We value our clients' privacy. Therefore we do not, distribute your email address to anyone, ever.
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