Hey, it’s Terry here.

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Important - this may affect you or your business!

Recently the Government made an announcement about reducing study and training loans eg HECS by 20% and its being rolled out in phases. Read more

If you have such a debt, and your employer uses Xero, AND they have set up a recurring bank payment because you are paid the same amount each payday (ask them) - check your payment matches what’s on your payslip. Your employer may not have realised your pay has gone up (due to less tax) and they haven’t updated your recurring bank payment.

If you have recurring payments set up in your bank for wages, and have an employee paying study and training tax, run an Account Transactions report and check your Wages Payable liability account in Xero. The default account is 804, yours might be the same account code.

This is important because you don’t want to look into this months down the line and have to make a large back payment.

~~~Keyboard Shortcuts - Keep a record of shortcuts next to your computer. Use them regularly so they become habit and save time.~~~

For security purposes this is a good habit to do every time you leave your desk.

Windows - Windows Key + L

Mac Control + Command + Q

Log back in to your device how you normally do, ie fingerprint, password etc.

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When you create a form in Word or Google Docs for personal details or a signature, here’s how to add lines so they all end the same distance from the right margin. It looks neat.

It’s not as simple as Word and it is a bit painful 🤕. You need to add a table, and hide all the borders except the bottom border which becomes the line to be written on.

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I’m heading to Vietnam for 11 days tomorrow so I hope the heat doesn’t destroy me!

Because the currency rate for AUD to the Vietnamese dong is currently AUD$1 to 17,241DONG, I created a currency conversion table in Excel, saved as an image, and added it to my mobile phone home screen for a quick way to convert a purchase to $AUD.

Did you even know you can create an image of your data then save as a png or jpeg? Here’s how I did it:

My success in administration comes from being both innovative and creative. I’ve always looked for smarter ways to work — improving processes, streamlining systems, and making positive changes that benefit the whole team. I am willing to learn and be curious about everything I come across. I’ve never been afraid to ask questions (“no question is a dumb question” mentality).

When people think of creativity, they often picture artists with paintbrushes, designers with mood boards, or tech inventors in hoodies. Btw, My 5 minutes of fame was in Year 10 at school, when I sold a painting to my art teacher for $15! It was an abstract called Bloated Fish. Maybe she thought I might be famous one day!😂👩🏼‍🎨🎨🖌️

Back on track - rarely does anyone think of us Admins as being creative.

But here’s the thing: creativity and innovation aren’t reserved for “creatives.” They’re everyday tools that can make your role not just easier, but also far more impactful.

Admin roles demand problem-solving, quick thinking, and a knack for fresh ideas — often under pressure. If you welcome those challenges with gusto, you’ll not only shine as the go-to person everyone relies on, but you’ll also grow your confidence, skills, influence, and therefore VALUE!

Being innovative and creative at work will help you to:

Creative activities will force your brain out of its usual patterns. By exposing you to different experiences and ways of thinking, they help you make new connections—a key part of the creative process. Food for thought:

👂🏽Listen to Sir Ken Robinsons 20 min TED Talk “Do schools kill creativity?” It’s an eye opener. 299,000 viewers have given it a thumbs up, and not a single thumbs down!

🫱🏼‍🫲🏽Look around you for different coloured items and pretend you work for Dulux and give the colour a name. Eg a yellow flower you might call the colour - Lemon Squeeze 🍋. Or the colour you give your mustard coloured shoes - Bubba’s Poo!

👂🏼Go outside and listen for as many different noises you can hear in 10 minutes. A bird, car, people, animal, machine etc.

Once a week at work, find a task that you do that needs improving. Identify the bottlenecks or unneccessary steps, brainstorm by yourself or with someone else on ways to improve the task, implement it, review and tweak.

If you would like to explore being creative on paper using fine liners and markers, do a Google search for “visual sketch notes” and also “graphic facilitation”. My all time favourites are Rohdesign and Brandy Agerbeck, and Bikablo which sells great books and tools. You really don’t need to be creative to start because what they teach is very basic to start with and you can practice at work when you take down notes. I’ve spent hours doodling with the cards below!

🛝Enjoy!

😍 Head on over if that sounds yummy to you! Save me a piece please!

This week, why don’t you post a card or a letter to someone you love, care about or are grateful for. Yes it’s old fashioned but hey its a buzz getting mail these days that isn’t a bill!

I love Touchnote where you can create and send a card or postcard. Use your own photo, they have templates, and they have printers around the world so the nearest affiliate printing company to the destination will print and send your card or postcard for prompt delivery.

Especially great for kiddies and older folk who love mail!

Don’t complain if you only got 7 hours sleep last night. Giraffes out in the wild sleep for as little as 5-30 minutes a day. Even then they’re in short bursts of one or two minutes. Giraffes in zoo’s are not on the lookout for predators so they can afford to sleep in with about 6 hours sleep.

🐬Baby dolphins don’t sleep at all during their first month of life because they need a breath of air every 3-30 seconds. It’s hard enough being mum to a newborn human, imagine being a mother dolphin. 😴

This book is an awesome read, I loved it and its rated 4.5 star by over 64,000 people. Ikigai means “a reason for being” and what your level of “enough” is. Click here to buy online.

🤣🧻 This weeks laugh!

Years ago I went to the loo at Sydney Central train station. On my way out I didn’t notice a long piece of toilet paper was stuck on the bottom of my shoe. In front of hundreds of people it fluttered behind me until a kind lady let me know. 🫢

Since then, I always tell someone if they have something wrong going on. Green food in their teeth 🥬 , boogie in their nose 👃 , bad breath🪥 etc. Be thoughtful and do someone a favour.

💻 Want to share a thought or tip with our readers, or just me?

Or do you have a great idea that all admins can relate to for an upcoming Printer Jam comic strip? Email me at [email protected].

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