For many people, regardless of age, sector or seniority, the good old fashioned paper diary is still a part of life.
Nevertheless, electronic diary systems are now a vital part of most businesses and in this article we will take a brief look at how the two weigh up in terms of pros and cons and the potential business ‘life-saving’ capabilities of one of them.
Traditional diaries
Let’s take a quick look at the reasoning behind so many still choosing them.
Pros.
Accessibility – like it or not, our eyes deteriorate with time, and a full-page diary is easy to turn the pages in, read and write in.
Michelle from UK virtual assistants Virtual Hand said “Simplicity–One place for all your thoughts and plans andpaper-based diaries do not suffer ‘technical difficulties’.”
Comfort – Planning your upcoming days or months, visually and viscerally, is more effective when performed on crisp white pages with your favourite pens. Fact.
Cons:
Ease of use –A pain when lumberingbags or for those who can never keep track of a pen! Space and the fortitude to keep years of diaries is not for everyone.
Accidents – Let’s be honest…those coffee disasters and disastrous train rides occur more often than we like to admit.
Teamwork – There is no way, besides screenshots, to effectively share the contents of your diary in a way that ensures you don’t double-book, over book or simply forget appointments. Nobody can save you from this – even the world’s most efficient PA or secretary.
Electronic diaries
That term provoked a chuckle as it harks back to the dawn of hand-held devices and simply doesn’t cover the incredible capabilities of today’s cloud-based diary systems.
Let’s start with the Cons…
Battery powered. Leaving the house without enough charge in your business devices is almost unforgivable. So we’ll move on.
Technical failure – A common topic of conversation, but let’s leave that to the ‘Pro’ section…
Accessibility –A shiny, interactive, adjustable screen nope…that can’t be argued here either.
Comfort – This is relevant. That is all.
The Pros.
For Virtual Assistants, the entire basis of outsourcing work and projects and getting help with managing day-to-day business functions, all completely relies on the proven efficient use of technology.
Choice of device –Apple or Android, large or small – devices are made to suit your taste. Phone or tablet or a hybrid of the two – you choose. Slide it into a pocket or personalise a well-padded case.
Accessibility – Just about every aspect of your device and diary software is adjustable – brightness, volume, print size, voice activation and recording, and so many more.
Technical failure?–As mentioned above. This is the bane of our lives. However, as cloud-based operators, this is no longer the world-ending disaster that it was in the past. By entering your details on a device connected to the cloud, while you may lose the device, your data is secure and accessible through simply logging in to another device.
The power of sharing – This is a saving grace.
You can share your online diary with family, your VA, or wider staff. Choose who can access and change your diary to assist you to manage your commitments.
When making appointments with colleagues or your team, ‘invite’ people to the event through the diary booking. This sends an email which, when accepted, adds the date to their diary. This invite can even include an automatic Zoom meeting or Google Teams link, or similar program addition.
Better yet, software such as Calendly, allows clients and prospective clients to book in a time to talk to you through a simple link on your profile or website filtering out any potential clashes.
Conclusion
While all of that may sound like great ideas but a good deal of learning and adjustment, once set up, the power of interactive and secure electronic diaries can really change the face of your business for the better, increasing your productivity and efficiency, both personally and throughout your business.
Please feel free to have a chat with us about diary management capabilities to set your mind at ease and potentially set you on a new trajectory.
